Demons: Guilt and Redemption
by clownish
Summary: What's a demon slayer to do when guilt's got the best of him? See a psychologist, of course. Obvious crossover....
1. Guilt

_**My crack at a Demons themed fic. With some crossover action. A little angsty, a little smutty. Hope there's something in it for everyone!**_

xxxx

_May 2008_

Rupert Galvin scrolled through the messages on his Blackberry. He hated the thing, but you had to have one if you wanted to talk to anyone anymore.

"_...mental health of our crime fighting professionals…"_

He looked around the table. It fit eight, but the seat next on his left was empty. Lucky fuck. The rest of the seats were filled with bright thirty-somethings in business suits making uncomfortable conversation about the stresses of police work. Stress. They had no idea what stress was.

"…_.and that's the main reason we're all here – to reexamine the treatment of job related post traumatic stress disorder as it relates to police fieldwork."_

Realizing the speech had stopped and the other people in the room were applauding, he slipped the device into his pocket and added a few unenthusiastic claps of his own. He'd been sent here to New York on a tracking mission, and word was that whatever he was tracking was on the trail of someone at this conference. _Psychology and Policework._ God he needed a drink already. Where was the waiter?

He put in a request for his first scotch of the day as he looked around the table. Four men and two women. Unlikely targets, he thought to himself, but that didn't mean anything. He wondered idly what they did for a living, without really wanting to know. If he asked them he might have to talk to them.

Staring unhappily at the sad looking salad that arrived at the same time as his drink, he felt the blackberry buzz in his pocket. He thumbed it. The information he needed was waiting at the concierge desk. Getting up, he excused himself from the anonymous table with a nod and left the banquet room. Thank God. He was not eating that fucking salad.

After collecting his file from the desk he shrugged on his overcoat. It was pouring rain outside but he'd prefer that to the dreaded lunch being served upstairs. He could grab a sandwich around the corner and take it back to his room, read the file there. Get the job over with so he could move on.

xxx

It was that last beer that did it, that changed his mind. Galvin hunched over the bar, he wasn't looking forward to it. It was why he never bothered with women. But he could barely focus, couldn't get the work done. Had too much on his mind. It he could just forget it all, lose everything just for an instant, maybe it would be enough. He hoped it would be enough.

He'd been thinking about his wife most of the afternoon. Not unusual, he thought about her every day. But he wasn't feeling guilty for a change, at least not guiltier than usual. He was missing her in a more physical sense. He'd had other women since she'd died, but not many. Never sure if it was the guilt or something else, he almost always stopped before things got too far. It was too dangerous. Besides, it was just a physical need. Nothing he couldn't take care of by himself. Most of the time.

But tonight was different. After picking up the information on his target half-life, he'd spent the afternoon in his room going over the file. A time shifter, the file ranked it a 9. He knew the breed and didn't think it would be that complicated a job. The trick would be to get to it before it found its victim.

He was working on ways to do that when he realized. Today was his wedding anniversary. It would have been 25 years. And he was sure they'd have made it. They'd gotten married in May, and had spent what seemed like weeks in bed. They couldn't get enough of each other. Thinking about her now made his balls ache. He still wanted her so badly. Closing his eyes he forced himself to focus on the job. It's what he always did. It wasn't long before he knew that wouldn't work this time. Images of Maggie invaded his mind when he tried to think. Getting up off the couch where he'd been working, papers spread out all over the coffee table, Rupert Galvin stripped off his clothes and dropped onto the still messy bed. He allowed himself the rarest fantasy. The one about his wife. Most of the time he'd jerk off as quickly as he could, eager to get it over with, to move on to the next job. He'd denied himself so much for so long that it was easier to just treat it like another necessity. Get it over with so he could think straight.

Not today. Images of her dark eyes and red hair played in his mind as he gripped himself firmly, his balls tight, waiting. He started slowly, stroking as the sound of her laughter filled his head, faster as the memories of her lips on his chest as she kissed her way lower taking him deep into her mouth replaced them. He kept that memory, the endless blow-job, her lovely mouth teasing and tasting him as he groaned into the silence. And then one of his favorites, the one on their honeymoon, when they'd snuck into the Griffith Park observatory after dark. Shit they'd been young. He took her from behind, both of them staring at the bright lights of Los Angeles as they came together, as he came into the sheets gasping, spilling for far longer than he had remembered doing in a long time. After that he'd showered and walked down to the bar, settling at one end so he could see everything that went on. He couldn't stay in his fucking room.

Now he was at the bar, thinking about Maggie, about the afternoon. About going back to his room for another try, knowing it wouldn't work. Galvin opened his eyes, ripped out of his fantasy by the drunk that was shouting for the waitress from only three feet away from her. He stared into the empty bottles and tiny shot glasses that sat in front of him, painfully ignoring the quiet throb between his legs. It hadn't been enough. And he needed to focus on the work at hand or someone was going to get hurt. But he couldn't focus. He wanted, no, _needed_ a woman. He waved the bartender over for another drink.

The dinner hosted by the conference had just ended, and by 9pm the bar was filled with suited attendees. It was a small room, with about twelve booths stuck to the floor to ceiling windows separating it from the hotel corridors. He didn't quite understand the trend of setting up bars so everyone who passed could see you drink, but it did make it easier for him to keep his eyes on everything. And everyone. He didn't want to want a woman, but he was going off the deep end without one.

As the night dragged on he drank less, switching from tequila and beer to scotch. The bar emptied, except for the few stragglers who didn't want to stop drinking or couldn't. He watched a group of about seven get up from a booth that really only comfortably fit four, recognizing a few from his table at lunch. Hell, they all could have been there, he wasn't sure he'd remember at this point. As they streamed out into the hotel, one of the women walked to the bar, taking a seat just one over from Rupert. She nodded politely at him as she ordered a white wine from the bartender.

Rupert tried not to stare at her too hard. Pretty, brunette, he remembered noticing her at lunch. It looked like she had nice tits, but who could tell in these godawful suits? She'd do.

"So, um, are you here for the conference?"

British. London, most likely. He nodded. "Sort of."

"I noticed you at our table today. At the lunch. But you left before they served the food."

"Was it any good?"

She laughed and he smiled. "No. It was awful, actually. Chicken, with a slice of bacon wrapped around it."

"Yeah, I knew we were in trouble when the salad came and it was wilted lettuce with a tangerine slice. I snuck out for a sandwich up the block."

"I should've gone with you."

He agreed. "You should have." He paused and stuck out his hand. "Rupert Galvin."

She blushed slightly and took it. "Alex Drake. Rupert isn't a very common name for an American, is it?"

He shook his head as he dropped her hand. "No. My father was a building contractor. Worked all over the world. Mom just liked the name." He gave a non committal shrug but his pants were suddenly very tight.

She smiled. She'd thought he was handsome earlier. His eyes gave him a sort of boyish look, though he was far from young. Older than she was, certainly. "So what do you do? What brings you to this conference?"

He waved his empty glass at the bartender, indicating he should refill Alex's as well. She thanked him. "I do contract work, actually. For different government agencies. A friend at the FBI suggested I might get something out of this one so here I am." He clinked his fresh glass against Alex's before taking a large gulp. "What do you do?"

"I, uh, I'm a psychologist for the Metropolitan Police. London."

"So what does that mean? Psychologist for the Metropolitan Police. London." He grinned at her and she looked away. Thirties? Probably. She had a lovely mouth. And he could almost smell her perfume from where she sat. Would it be too obvious if he moved closer? He glanced at her hand as she lifted her glass. She wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

"Oh, I talk to police officers, help them through the stressful parts of their jobs. Help them solve their problems. Refer them for more help if they need it. What about you? What does a 'contractor' do?" Alex had her suspicions.

"Oh, you know. This and that. Whatever needs doing."

"Whatever needs doing?" Up close he was very handsome, though unconventionally. His eyes, his smile. She instantly hated how lonely she was.

"Sure. Help people solve their problems." He smiled again. He had to blink to stop from imagining her underneath him.

He was talking, but he wasn't saying much. Stop it Alex. Stop being interested in his brain. "I see. Dangerous work?" She couldn't help it.

"Can be. But I try to be careful."

After a while Alex excused herself to go to the ladies room. Inside, she stared at herself in the mirror. He was very non-committal about his job, but she knew what contract work for the government meant. He probably killed people for a living. But she'd met people who did that sort of work. Even treated a few. He didn't look dangerous, or much like a killer. But you really never knew. And she really didn't want to be alone tonight. And she doubted she was on his list anyway. Why not?

"Is it a stressful job? Is that why your friend suggested you come to this?" She sat on the stool right next to his when she returned. His knee moved slightly, bumping hers. She bumped him back. She didn't get that many weekends away from her daughter. And she was far way with a man she'd likely never see again. And he seemed interested. She was going for it.

"You could say that. But on some level all jobs are stressful, aren't they? I mean, even yours. You listen to people tell you awful things all day, things they see, things they do. Doesn't it ever get to you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Other people's problems are so much easier to deal with than your own, aren't they?" She scrunched her face into a funny expression, and he couldn't help but lean closer.

"Oh, come on. What kind of problems could you have? You're young, attractive…" he stopped as she looked away.

"Yes, uh, thank you. But not young or attractive enough, apparently." Oh my god. Why was she telling him this? "Today is the one year anniversary of my divorce."

Bingo. "Well, I am sorry." He stared at her and she didn't flinch. "But not that sorry." He called the bartender over for another drink.

"What about you?" She cleared her throat. "Married?"

The bartender reached their end of the bar. "Last call folks. We'll be closing up in a few." He refilled their glasses.

"Want an extra?" Rupert asked Alex.

"No, thanks. This will do." The bartender walked away as Alex asked again. "Married?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Oh." Good. Wait. Good? Was she really thinking about going through with this? He was obviously interested. Alex thought hard. When was the last time she'd spent the night with a man just for the sex? It had been right after the divorce, and she'd felt guilty the whole night that she wasn't with her daughter. They were supposed to have had the weekend but she'd made the poor man take her home the next morning. They never went out again.

But here she was, thousands of miles away from anyone who would care or know. She started when he got up off his bar stool and threw a long overcoat over his arm. "Are you leaving?"

He shrugged. "Last call. Bar's closing."

"Oh, um" she swallowed. "Would you like a nightcap?"

He paused, looking at her. Could he go through with it? He needed to or he wouldn't be able to concentrate. He didn't want it. "Sure. There's a bar around the corner. It's raining, but it's not far."

Alex swallowed again. "I, um, have a mini-bar in my room." She looked him in the eye. "If you don't want to go out in the rain."

He closed the small gap between them. "Mini-bar sounds great. Lead the way."

xx

The minute they were alone in the elevator he pushed her against the wall, kissing her hard. As he did the pulse gun he kept sheathed inside his overcoat swung against her leg.

"Impressive weapon" she mumbled as he grabbed her breast with his free hand.

"Thanks." He kissed her again. "Handles like a dream, for its size." Alex giggled in spite of herself.

They reached the 17th floor, and he followed her out of the elevator and down the hallway. Thank god it wasn't far, he could barely walk. Rupert stood behind her as she slid the card into the slot in the door. He tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a groan as the door clicked and she turned the handle. He didn't see her bite her lip.

The room was lit by a small lamp by the bed. Alex stuck her hand out, reaching for the switch on the wall, but he covered her hand with his before she could turn it on. Curling her fingers into his he wrapped his arm around her waist, his erection obvious as he pulled her tight against him, as he kissed the back of her head.

Alex tried to talk, but her voice was breathy, hoarse. "Do you want that drink?"

Rupert turned her around. He didn't want a drink. He wanted to fuck her, needed to lose himself completely. And soon. "No."

She placed her lips lightly against his, and he responded by parting them roughly with his tongue as he dropped his coat, the pulse gun hitting the floor with a muffled thump. With a sigh she pushed herself against him, meeting his tongue with hers as his arms moved around her.

Wordlessly they undressed, pulling at each others clothes until there were none left and they moved together onto the bed. Before she could touch him he pulled her hands together over her head, kicked her legs apart and buried himself inside her. Rupert groaned as he released her hands and pushed himself off the bed, thrusting hard as this stranger writhed underneath him. He closed his eyes, he just wanted to come, was sure he would come fast, even as he knew he shouldn't, that there was another person in the bed with him who wanted something from him. Something he wasn't sure he could give.

Alex wrapped her legs around his hips as he thrust into her. He was huge, and hard, and _Oh god!_ She hoped he'd never stop.

But he didn't come, he couldn't come, couldn't let go. He thrust harder, driving deeper into her as she cried out for more. Shit she felt great. She smelled great. He could do this. Pulling back again, he moved inside her slowly as he opened his eyes. _"Yes, god yes"_ she coaxed him, groaning. She was gonna come, soon, and he couldn't, he couldn't…_oh, god, wait, no, no, shit…_

Frantically he pulled out, too late as he came anyway, releasing over her leg as she murmured, confused, unsatisfied.

"Rupert? What?"

Shit. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He rolled over onto his back, covering his face with his hands. He couldn't do it. Give that much, lose that much.

"You didn't have to do that. I mean, if you were worried."

He took a deep breath. "No." He shook his head. It wasn't the first time it had happened.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Yes. Sorry."

"What happened?"

He exhaled. "I should go." He sat up, but Alex sat with him, her hand reaching for his arm.

"No, don't." She didn't know why, but she didn't want him to leave. Not like this. She wasn't sure she could handle the rejection.

He turned to look at her. He shouldn't have done it. "It's…it's my wife."

Wife. "Wife? You said you weren't married. I wouldn't have done this if –"

"I'm not." He shook his head vigorously, shaking from alcohol and fear and the sudden orgasm. "She died. I'm not married."

"Oh god. I'm sorry." Great, I always get the crazy ones. "When?"

He laughed humorlessly. "Almost twenty years ago."

Alex was silent. "If you don't mind my saying, twenty years seems like a long time." Shit. She had a horrible thought. "You didn't kill her, did you?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. But it was my fault." He leaned against the headboard, one leg on the bed and the other on the floor. "Why did you ask if I'd killed her?"

Alex swallowed. "That's what you do, isn't it? You kill people? Government contractor? Please." She looked away as he stared at her.

When he spoke again he was quiet. "No, Alex. I don't kill people." She gave him a questioning look. "But what I do is very dangerous. To me and to those around me."

He watched her get up and walk to the bathroom, presumably to clean herself up. Rupert stared at the ceiling. None of this was helping. Now he just felt guilty. But she was right. Twenty years. He should be over it. Over the guilt about leaving Maggie unprotected. He just didn't know how.

"Have you ever talked to anyone about it?" Alex came out or the bathroom wearing a red and green plaid nightshirt. She looked like Christmas.

"What? Therapy?" He laughed sourly. "You don't get therapy in my job." He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, looking around on the floor for his boxer shorts. After pulling them on he took a step towards the mini-bar. "Do you mind if I, uh..." He pointed to the tiny bottles of alcohol. He needed a drink.

Alex shook her head.

"Do you want any?"

"I'll have the Diet Coke." He tossed her the can and twisted the top off a mini bottle of Jack Daniels, scowling. There was only one. "Surely there must be some service, somewhere you can go. Twenty years is a long time to be carrying around that much guilt. I'm sure if you just talked about it…"

He shook his head, interrupting. "There isn't."

"Well why don't you try talking to me." Alex sat cross legged on the bed, pulling the blankets over her lap.

He laughed sharply. "I don't need therapy."

"Well, after knowing you only a very short while, I have some experience that rather suggests you might benefit from it." She held his gaze steady. This she was good at.

Rupert looked away first. "I really should leave. I have work to do."

"It's almost three am. What could you have to do now?" She patted the bed next to her. "You may certainly sleep here for a few hours." She held her hands up. "No pressure." She turned the light off next to the bed as he picked his pants up off the floor. She heard him mumble 'fuck it' and felt him get into the bed next to her, sighing as he did.

"Rupert. You can talk about it if you want to."

He was exhausted and confused, swimming in guilt he couldn't shake. That he'd never been able to shake. He took a deep breath and told her. They hadn't been married long. They'd gotten married young and were young enough to still be in love. Young enough to believe that his job was the most important thing he'd ever do. He told her how he'd left Maggie alone frequently, traveling often to complete assignments. He told her how he'd never confessed how dangerous his life was, how dangerous it would be for her. She knew a little of what he did, but he never told her everything. He didn't want her to get hurt. He made a lot of enemies at his job. He thought keeping things from her would keep her safe. He told her about that one time, the time he and his partner were chasing a particularly dangerous criminal and he left Maggie alone. He told her how he came home to find her dead in their bedroom. How he'd never forgive himself. He didn't tell her that two years later he watched his partner die, that he had a godson he was desperate to protect.

While he was talking Alex slid her arm over his, curled her fingers into his, not saying anything.

When he was finished he lay awake, staring at the ceiling, into the dark, certain sleep would never come. But it did, and he welcomed it.

xx

When he woke the next morning Alex was gone. She'd left him a note to seek more help, and a cup of black coffee. Lukewarm. He pulled on his clothes quickly, and was sitting on the small couch putting his shoes on when he saw her pile of folders. He couldn't help looking, it was in his nature to snoop.

It was in the third file. His eyes widened when he read it, words jumping from the pages, choking him. _"…1973…" "…suicide…" "…time travel…"_

_Shit! Shit! Shit!_ He jumped up, loosening his pulse gun from its holster and draping his coat over it as he ran out of the room.

Alex Drake was his monster's fucking target.


	2. Redemption

"Alex?"

"Hmm?" She chewed the end of her pen.

"What do you think your most difficult case has been?"

Alex looked up at the man sitting across the table from her. Round wire frames, serious expression. He looked annoyed as she mumbled an answer. They had broken up into groups to discuss treatment of various cases, but she was finding it hard to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting back to the night before. To Rupert Galvin.

It had certainly been an odd evening, but still, she found something about him compelling. She caught her mind drifting again as she wondered if perhaps they should give it another try...but that was ridiculous, wasn't it?

"I think that's all we have time for this session." Alex was brought back by the team leader's voice. They group mumbled goodbyes and Alex found herself walking the corridors, telling herself she wasn't looking for him, for Galvin. The conference had been set up on the hotel's fourth floor and there were large conference rooms and smaller meeting rooms in use up and down several spoked hallways. She'd never find him.

Resigned to getting on with the conference, she pushed through the door of a ladies room at the far end of one hall. After stopping at the sink to wash her hands she looked at herself in the mirror. She was still attractive, right? She was only in her thirties, she took care of herself. She looked at her suit, and her unstyled hair. Maybe she should try harder.

She only barely noticed the stall door opening behind her, and it took her two seconds to realize it was a man coming out. Too late to do anything but register his eyes, glowing orange in the mirror as she slid to the floor.

xx

He'd been up and down every hallway. But the sessions had just let out and there were too many people. He needed to find her. He hoped it wasn't already too late.

At the end of the third hall he found an empty ladies room. Turning to head back the other way he realized that the hallway made an abrupt left, leading to what looked like utility rooms. And a doorway marked 'Fire Escape.' Pushing through it he saw her. Half conscious and already outside, the half-life's arms wrapped around her, tugging her down the stairs. He hoped the rain would slow it down just a little.

He made it down one flight before the creature hit the ground, Alex along with it. They both slid in the untended muck of the alley and Alex rolled away, whether on purpose or from the force of landing he didn't know. But it didn't matter, he aimed and fired and the creature disappeared in a burst of purple flame, leaving nothing behind but a few floating ashes.

Rushing to the bottom, he jumped off the end of the ladder and pulled Alex to her feet.

"Are you OK?" He took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders, oblivious to the rain pouring over him.

She rubbed the back of her head. "I think so. I was in the ladies room. Someone hit me on the back of the head."

Pushing her hands away he looked at her head, no broken skin. "Probably just a bump. Come on. Let's get inside before we're both soaked through."

"Bit too late for that," but she followed, her hand curled into his as he tugged her along the alleyway to the street. "Wait? How did you…? How did you get here? And where is whoever did this?"

"I'll tell you inside."

The alley was deep and when they'd gotten halfway through Rupert stopped. Someone had entered from the street side. He didn't like this. "Alex, let's go the other way."

"What?" She stopped, still groggy from the knock on the head.

He started to pull her the other direction and stopped. Another one. Shit.

"Orange."

"What?" He really needed her to keep it together. At least for a few minutes.

"His eyes. Rupert they're orange. Why are they orange? In the bathroom. His eyes were orange." She was starting to panic.

"Orange? You're sure?"

"Yes! Yes I'm sure!"

Without hesitating further he pulled her tightly against him with his left arm as his right raised the pulse gun and fired toward the first figure, not bothering to watch as it exploded. Alex wriggled away as he turned and aimed at the second figure, pulling the trigger again.

"What did you do?" she shrieked. "Did you kill him?"

"It wasn't a him. And yes. Now let's get back in the hotel. We have to get you out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You just killed two men!"

"Alex! They were not men. And they were after you. So instead of accusing me without understanding what's happening you could say thank you and just fucking follow me!"

"What do you mean they weren't men?" Realization dawned on her face. "Oh my god, you are crazy."

He'd had enough. He was soaking wet now and there had been three of them. That meant there would be more. This was not good. Patience, Galvin.

"Alex. Come inside and I will explain everything. You are in a lot of danger. More than I thought."

She stared at him, horror, disbelief, anger all over her face. But she took his hand and she went with him.

xx

Alex kept silent as they worked their way to her room. She had a million questions, but only one would register. Who was this man?

Once they got to her room he told her to pack her things. They needed to leave and there was no time to change, and she shouldn't tell anyone. She was gathering her things from the bathroom when she heard him on the phone.

"No, there were three of them. What's going on? I was told there was only one. This was almost a complete fuck up….No, I have her here….Yes, I can do that….you'll call me with the flight? OK...she'll need a distorter…at least until it wears off…I don't know, I haven't told her anything yet…Yes, I'll fill her in…I don't know that, I'll find out." He appeared in the doorway to the bathroom.

"Alex, did you come straight to New York? Or did you stop somewhere else first?"

"Um, I was in Woodstock. I went to visit friends for a few days before coming into the city." She stared at his back.

"Woodstock…yeah, that explains it….a patient, I think, yeah…no, I think he's dead now…Ok...OK...OK...at the concierge desk…Sheraton JFK. It may take about an hour…well, it's pissing rain so getting a cab will be difficult…Fine, I'll check in when we get there."

Alex sat on the edge of the bed waiting for him to finish.

"Are you packed?" She wilted a little under his gaze.

"Yes. Yes I'm packed, but I am not going anywhere with you until you tell me what this is about. Who you are. None of this makes any sense." She was trying to stay calm but she wasn't sure she could hold on much longer. "You killed three people."

He took a deep breath. "Alex they were not people. I do not kill people Alex, I told you that last night."

She scoffed. "Last night. What the hell was that? Setting me up for something? Pretending you couldn't…"

"I wasn't pretending. Everything that happened, everything I said last night was true. I had no idea you were the target Alex. It was only a lucky coincidence."

"Lucky?" She stared at him. "How do you work that out?"

"I didn't know who the target was. If I hadn't seen that file in your room this morning I might never have been able to track it."

"File? What file? You read my files?"

"I snoop, sue me. Sam Tyler's file."

"What does Sam Tyler have to do with this?" It made less sense the more he said.

"According to your file, Sam Tyler went back in time. When you time travel you pick up energy particles that travel with you. You spent a lot of time with Sam, apparently. He was a patient?" She nodded. "Well you spent enough time with him that his energy particles gathered around you. Enough so that these creatures identified you as a potential meal."

"A potential _meal?_ I see. So what are these, uh, creatures you are talking about."

He took a deep breath. "They're called Kronons. They're like walking wormholes. They identify a target by existing negative energy density – it's caused by the particles. You got them from Sam."

"From Sam…You do realize everything you are saying sounds completely insane. I'm not sure you need therapy as much as a good doctor and some anti-psychotic medication. You cannot possibly think that I can believe this, can you? Time travel? Sam Tyler was in a coma. He had dreams. He could not possibly have traveled back in time!"

"Whether you believe it or not is really up to you Alex. But it's true. If you don't believe it then they will find you, and they'll take you."

"Take me. Where will they take me?"

"I have no idea. I don't imagine they do either. Look, in order to do it, feed off your energy, they need to keep you alive in the present. So they don't kill you, but they will cause you grave bodily harm, send you into a coma probably, and feed off the energy necessary to keep you in the past."

Alex shook her head. "No. No I can't believe this." She looked at him. He didn't seem crazy. He didn't have any of the outward signs, he sat calmly, explained carefully.

"You saw their eyes Alex. How many people have eyes that glow orange?"

She looked away, walking to the window to stare at the rain. None. People didn't have eyes that glowed orange. Humans didn't. She shook her head. "So what am I supposed to do? Go with you somewhere? How do I know if I should trust you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But if it helps, the plan is for me to take you to Kennedy airport and get you on a flight to London. You seem to have walked through a nest of these things in Woodstock, which is why there were so many. And why there could be more. They followed you here. You go back to London and you may be able to avoid them long enough for the energy particles to float away. Then you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"So it won't stay with me forever?"

He shook his head. "It shouldn't."

"How do I protect myself? I have a daughter – what about her?"

"She should be fine. You were the one who had contact with Tyler. We don't think the particles travel a second time. They'll stick too you until they wither away, then nothing."

She nodded, hugging herself. She wished suddenly he would hug her. She really needed another human to touch her right now. If he was human.

"Rupert?" He was gathering her things and moving towards the door.

"Yeah?"

"Are you human?"

"Yes Alex. I am."

"Ok."

xx

He made her drag her own suitcase, wanting to be ready in case they met another Kronon, but they gathered his bag from his room and made it out of the hotel without incident. They'd managed a cab and were safely tucked into the back seat before Alex buried her face against him. He moved his arm around her, pulling her closer, kissing the top of her head before he could stop himself. He'd wanted to wrap his arms around her in her room, but was certain it wouldn't have been welcome.

"I'm sorry Alex. It can be a bit of a shock, finding out."

"Shocked doesn't begin to describe it. I'm still not certain I believe anything you've said."

"So why are you coming with me?"

Alex didn't answer right away. "Something attacked me. I want to go home." She tilted her head to look at him. He wanted to kiss her.

"It's a long ride. You can nap if you want. I'll wake you when we get to the hotel."

xx

Rupert was jolted from his own nap by the squeal of the cab's breaks. Shit, he shouldn't have fallen asleep.

"Alex, wake up." He shook her as he reached into his coat for his gun. This was not the exit for the airport hotel. He banged on the heavy plastic partition between the front and back seat of the cab. "This is the wrong exit!"

The driver waved at him as if not understanding, but, suddenly alert, Rupert saw him reach below his seat, and saw his eyes glowing in the rear view mirror.

"Alex! Get out now!" He pushed her away at the same moment the cabbie slid open the partition. But Galvin was faster and the cab driver disappeared in a flicker of purple as Alex tumbled out of the cab onto the wet street.

Rupert followed her out, pulling her quickly to her feet in case of oncoming traffic, but there was none.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes. Rupert, I don't understand this." She looked almost broken. Completely vulnerable. Again he resisted kissing her.

"Yeah, well, understanding doesn't always help. But you have to believe it to fight it." They gathered their bags from the trunk as he pulled out his phone to arrange another car. Then he called his contacts to arrange a new hotel. If the driver had passed information to anyone they'd know where she was, and he wouldn't let that happen.

xx

After waiting half an hour in the still pouring rain, a black limo picked them up and quickly deposited them at their new location.

Rupert unlocked the door to the hotel room, one arm still protectively around Alex's shoulders. He pulled her jacket off and guided her towards the bathroom. "Get out of your wet clothes and put this on." He handed her the complimentary bathrobe hanging off the back of the door. She didn't protest as he pulled the door shut behind him.

He looked around the room. TV, small desk, two queen sized beds. Well, at least they could avoid a repeat of last night. Deciding any unwanted intruder was more likely to come in through the door than the window he put Alex's suitcase next to the bed by the window and threw his on the floor next to the other bed. He set his pulse gun within easy reach on the bed and stripped off his own wet clothes, pulling on clean, dry jeans and a white t-shirt. May in New York was always pissing rain, yet somehow he always found himself here.

After waiting about twenty minute Rupert got up and knocked on the bathroom door. No answer.

He knocked again. "Alex?" Turning the handle he pushed the door open carefully. She was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, still in her wet clothes, looking stunned. Shit. "Come on Alex." Closing his fingers around her arm he pulled her to her feet and out of the bathroom. "This won't help. You should get cleaned up."

"Did you see his eyes?"

"Yes."

She nodded, putting up no resistance as he pulled her shirt over her head. "You've had a shock, Alex. You're safe for now." At least he thought so. "Get cleaned up. I'll get some food."

Sitting on her bed, she kicked off her shoes before she spoke again. "Last night. Did you want me?"

"Yes."

"It had nothing to do with this? With these things?"

He shook his head. "No. If I had known it was you I never would have – it wouldn't be appropriate under the circumstances." She smiled a little. He wanted her now, more than the night before. "Get cleaned up" he said again. You'll feel better. I can answer more questions if you have them after."

Alex got up and went back into the bathroom, but he didn't watch her. He was too preoccupied with thinking about her. Once he heard the shower start, he picked up the phone and called room service.

"I have something for you. It will help."

Alex sat cross legged on her bed, wearing a baggy grey sweatshirt and black yoga pants. Her eyes were red rimmed – he assumed she'd been crying in the shower, but she seemed to have pulled herself together and was listening to him explain.

"It looks like a pager. Where did it come from?"

"It was delivered while you were in the shower. And it was a pager. No one uses them any more, so we repurpose them when necessary. It will emit a low level positive energy density field for about 30 yards around you. Any Kronon that gets near you won't be able to activate their wormhole, most of the time they won't even be able to sense you. I only say most of the time because it's always possible there's something we don't know about them. But it should keep you safe until the particles that have attached themselves to you fade away."

She nodded. "Ok. How long do you think that will be?"

"Probably about four months. And make sure you check the batteries. If they run out you'll be without protection."

"Batteries. Check."

He was still going over specifics when room service arrived. He'd ordered an assortment of food, having no idea what she'd want and being unable to stop himself from trying to make her comfortable. He'd also had them deliver a much larger bottle of scotch than what was in the mini-bar.

"So I, uh, ordered fruit, a couple of sandwiches. Some soup. If you don't like it we can get something else." He lifted the silver colored lids from each plate and set them on the floor. Alex got up from where she was sitting and came around the cart to sit next to him on his bed. He poured them each a large glass and handed hers over.

"Thank you" she looked into her glass. "I have no idea if I can eat anything, but I could use this." She sipped it gingerly.

He couldn't help smiling. "You don't drink a lot of whiskey?"

"No. Sometimes. But I don't drink much in general. Single mum, you know. I don't get out much."

He nodded. "How old is your daughter?"

Alex brightened at the question. "Almost twelve. Her birthday is in a few months. July, actually." She seemed happy to talk about her daughter, and Rupert watched her relax as she talked. She really was beautiful. "Maybe you can meet her some day."

He swallowed. "Maybe." He tried not to look uncomfortable. He'd love to meet her daughter.

"Oh. Um, unless you don't want to, of course."

"That's not it. I'd love to. It's just, I feel I have some making up to do to her mother first. And these are probably not the right circumstances."

"No. You're probably right." She looked up at him and he could feel his jeans getting tighter as he stared into her brown eyes. She was close enough that he could smell her. It would be a long night.

"Alex, under other circumstances, I'd love to, um, make it up to you. It's just, I don't like to – I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage."

"No. Of course." She turned away, looking at the food tray for the first time. "So let's eat, shall we?"

Alex talked more about her daughter as they ate their way through the tray, finishing everything on it along with half the bottle of scotch. Although Rupert had to admit he drank most of that. After a couple of hours, Alex crawled into her bed and quickly fell asleep.

He turned on SportsCenter and let the images flicker across the screen. Leaving the volume low so as not to wake her, he tried to doze off. They were safe enough, the positive energy pager was turned on and he felt like he could sleep. Her flight was the next afternoon and he needed to get her to the airport by eleven am. He really should sleep.

The only problem with that was that he didn't sleep much. Not in years anyway. Instead he imagined the many ways he'd like to make up to Alex for his performance the night before, hard-on digging into his jeans. He really should just take them off. Shit, he probably wasn't going to sleep without jerking off anyway so he might as well get up and take care of it.

He was swinging his legs off the bed when Alex stirred, crying out softly as she sat up in bed. In one step he was at her side, one arm around her.

"Are you OK?"

She nodded, placing one hand against his chest. "Yeah. Nightmare." She leaned her head against his chest. He was warm and solid. She didn't want him to move. "Please stay with me." She finally whispered.

Oh God. "OK."

He swung his legs onto the bed so she could get more comfortable, leaning against him as he sat up against the headboard. His hand slid down to her waist, over her hip. She nuzzled her face against his chest, and he could feel her mouth against him through the thin t-shirt. Rupert put his head back against the wall and groaned softly.

"Rupert?" She sat up, looking at him as he turned his head towards her. Her hand rested at the top of his jeans. He wanted her to unbutton them, to feel her hand slide down his flesh. He hadn't let her touch him last night, and now he didn't want her to stop. "Make it up to me now. Please."

"You're sure?" His mouth swallowed her answer as he kissed her, drawing her tongue into his mouth as he slipped his hands under her sweatshirt. He pulled it easily over her head as he trailed kisses over her shoulder, over her bare breasts. Her nipples peaked under his tongue as he sucked them gently into his mouth. He'd missed kissing. He wanted to cover every part of her body with his tongue and kissed, licked, moaned against her flesh until he reached the elastic at her waist. Alex wriggled as he pulled off the lycra pants, giggled as he slid her leg over his shoulder and kissed behind her knee, down her thigh, gasped as he gently parted her folds with his tongue, slipping it wetly inside her. It had been a long time, and he was in no hurry, letting his tongue dip inside over and over until she arched her hips against his mouth, her hands clinging to his hair, pressing him against her. He felt her shudder against him as he covered her clit with his mouth and teased her gently. _"More"_ she whispered, and he slid a finger inside, then over her clit as she shook, so near peaking.

Without finishing he kissed up her belly, wanting to be inside her when she finally came. He captured her mouth again, kissing as long as she'd allow before breaking away.

"Rupert, let me." Giving him a gentle push she rolled him to his back, carefully unbuttoning his jeans and pulling them off, followed swiftly by his plain white boxer shorts. He hadn't let her touch him the night before, and now she didn't want to stop. Alex ran her hand along his full length as he groaned, his hips twitching toward her. Dipping her head she licked along his shaft, enjoying his reaction as he gasped and tangled his hands into her hair. But she didn't linger, wanting him deep inside her when he finally came. "Rupert" she whispered after nibbling his neck, his ear. He didn't wait, guiding her hips over him as he plunged inside with a grunt, panting as he thrust, his thighs parting her legs wider as he drove still deeper into her. Alex gripped the bed, shaking from the force, from her own rushing climax as he went on and on. Finally, unable to take any more he rolled them both over, raising himself off the bed with a groan as he moved faster, more erratic, exploding as the flash of white light behind his eyes emptied the last twenty years of pain from his mind, if only for a moment.

Pulling her tighter against him he fell on his side, unwilling, or unable, he wasn't sure yet, to untangle himself from her. She was sobbing, from fear, he was certain, and he did his best to kiss away the wet tears. He couldn't let go, not yet. They lay still, without speaking, until Alex cried herself to sleep, Rupert's arms wrapped tightly around her.


	3. Renewal

_**Thanks to everyone who's reading and enjoying!**_

--

Alex wriggled a little, reaching over to shut the alarm clock. Rupert had insisted they set it over getting a wakeup call. Then she'd fallen asleep in his arms and it seemed as if neither of them had moved the entire night. She was sticky and sore and needed to use the bathroom, but she was afraid to get too far away from him. She had to admit that he'd made her feel safer.

He had promised, as he fell asleep, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Could she count on that? She wanted to but what did she really know about him? They'd picked each other up in a bar. At the time she'd believed him, believed his story, his excuse. He'd seemed honest. She laughed. Honest in the way you can only be if you're naked in the dark with a complete stranger after having failed to perform sexually. Yes, she did believe that part of his story. But the rest? Logically she couldn't. He had to be crazy. But she'd seen them too. And they'd disappeared when he shot them. Just…_incinerated_. There weren't weapons that made humans disappear like that. At least not ones that you carried around in your coat. What had he called them? Kronons? Walking wormholes? It wasn't possible.

"Rupert?" She moved, sitting up next to him as his hand slid down her side, over her waist.

His eyes opened, blinking. "Is everything alright? Alex?" He found her hand, squeezed it.

"Yes. Everything's alright. Um, it's late. Should we get up? I don't know what your plans for me are today."

His plans for her. He looked into her eyes until she blushed and looked away. He'd love to have plans for her. He knew it wasn't possible. That it would never be possible.

"I have to make some phone calls, make sure everything is set. We'll get you on your way home today." He tilted her chin up and smiled. "Why don't you get showered and dressed and I'll make the calls." He resisted kissing her. "It'll be fine, really."

He was still sitting in the bed, talking on the phone when Alex came out of the shower. His eyes followed her bathrobe clad body across the small room, watching her grip the collar high around her neck. He shouldn't want her. He had a job to finish.

"Alex I called room service. I thought you might want to eat in the room." He frowned at the confused look on her face. "I can cancel it. We can go downstairs if you want."

"No, no. Room service is good." She was nervous about being alone with him. What would they talk about? But she was more afraid to leave.

"Ok." He stood up, pulling on pants in the process. "I'm going to shower. Just sign it to the room." He took a step toward the bathroom.

"Oh."

She looked smaller all of a sudden. "What's wrong?"

"It's a bit embarrassing, but, um, would you mind waiting until they get here? I'm really not sure I could answer the door."

She was staring at her hands, fiddling in her lap. She'd been so brave yesterday, when it had all been happening. Now she just looked lost.

"OK. Sure." He moved around to the other side of the bed and sat facing her, their feet almost touching on the floor. "Your flight is at 6:00 tonight. On Delta. I'll take you to the airport and get you to security. I can't go any further, sorry."

Alex nodded. "Of course."

"Alex. You really will be ok with the pager. You'll get back home and in a week you'll be so used to it that you won't notice. Odds are good that nothing is going to find you there anyway. I mean, nothing had happened before, right?" He was teasing her foot with his, hoping to get her to smile just a little when breakfast arrived.

Once she was settled Rupert shut himself in the bathroom, promising not to lock the door in case of further trouble. But he knew there wouldn't be any. As he let the hot water stream over his body, carefully soaping his tired flesh, he wondered what it was that drew him to this woman. Sure, she was attractive, but he met attractive women all the time. The fantasy was more than enough. She needed his help. OK, but he never took advantage that way before. And it wasn't as if it had never been offered. He always said no. He didn't want that kind of a connection with anyone. The times that he did seek out women it was for one thing, and they both knew it. Saving her life shouldn't have complicated it. No, he was sure that wasn't it. What if he just liked her?

He was still wondering when he reached between his legs. Half hard (as he was every morning in the shower) he stroked himself a few times, aching to finish before he realized he'd started. Stopping suddenly, he quickly rinsed off, blasting himself with cold water before shutting it off. He didn't want that this morning.

Rupert wrapped a towel around his waist, running another one over his head a few times. Maybe she'd see him again. He was going to be in London in a few months. He could call her. Catching a look at his reflection in the too large hotel bathroom mirror he cursed to himself. "Fucking idiot" he mumbled shaking his head. You're too old, overweight…she'd needed something to hang onto. You were there. That's as far as it went. As far as it should go. Put her on a plane, send her home. Never see her again. Better for everyone.

--

"Coffee?"

They'd managed to snag a small table at the airport Starbucks and had about another hour before Alex had to make her way through security. The morning had been uncomfortable, neither of them able or willing to say much. Rupert assumed she had either run out of questions, or was horrified at what she'd done.

"OK. Just a small one. Milk, please."

Alex watched him stroll to the counter. He had long legs. She hadn't noticed that before. With a sigh she turned and stared out the window at the few airport shops that sat outside security. He couldn't go through with her, but he'd agreed to wait until she had to board the plane. She should have more questions, she should talk to him. He'd been so nice to her, so careful. But all she could do was wonder when the last 36 hours would seem like a dream.

"Here you go." He set the cup in front of her, popping the lid on his own very large coffee.

"That looks awfully big." Small talk. She could do small talk.

He smiled. "Yeah, well. We all have our vices."

"So, does your job ever bring you to London?"

She looked up at him, directly into his eyes for the first time that day. Rupert stuttered. "I, um," he looked away. "I don't know. It's possible. I have a godson, he lives in London. I'm overdue for a visit." Eighteen years overdue, he thought suddenly.

"You should visit him, then." Alex drank her coffee.

"Maybe." He looked at his watch. "We should get you through security. Your flight will board soon." Rupert slammed the rest of his coffee, snapping the lid back on the empty cup before disposing of their trash and walking her to the security line.

"Alex, you really will be OK." He really hoped that was true.

"Rupert, thank you for saving my life."

He shrugged. He wanted to go with her. "You'd do the same for me." He smiled, but his heart wasn't in it.

"I would." Putting one hand on his cheek she pulled him close, kissing him slowly, welcoming his tongue as it slid over hers. "Good bye."

--

**_June 2008_**

"Luke! Just where do you think you're going?" He hooked Mina's hand into his arm as they walked away from the concert hall. "You've got work to do!"

"Oh come on Galvin! Just one night off."

Ruby stood next to him, pleading look on her face. "Please?"

"No. Not tonight. However you may go wherever you want, Ruby." Rupert flashed a smile in her direction. She scowled back, following Luke in the direction of Mina's car.

"Too bad she won't go wherever I want" Mina hissed under her breath.

"Be nice, Mina" Rupert murmured, too low for the teenagers to hear. "If she's with us at least we know she's not getting into any trouble that might distract Luke."

Mina shrugged. "I suppose, I just wish that –"

"Rupert?"

He turned around – it couldn't be….

"Alex?" He dropped Mina's arm. She was at the car anyway. "What are you doing here?" She walked across the street to where he was standing.

"Me? I live here. What are you doing here? In London I mean."

It had taken him a minute to realize it, but she wasn't alone. A girl who must have been her daughter and a much older man were standing where Alex had been on the other side of the street. Huh. Maybe he wasn't such a long shot.

"I, uh, I'm here to spend some time with my godson, Luke. I told you about him." He bent down and looked in the car. "Luke Rutherford, Alex Drake." Alex nodded as Luke threw a bored wave. "That is his friend Ruby sitting next to him and this is Mina Harker." He stood up again. "Were you at the concert?" He purposely shut the door to keep their conversation private.

"Yes, yes I was. With my daughter, Molly and her godfather, Evan. Well, he's my godfather too, actually. Raised me, um, after my parents died."

"Oh, yeah. Oh." He swallowed. He should get in the car.

"So are you in London for long?"

"I don't know, yet. Could be a few months. Spend some time with Luke. It's overdue." He was finding it hard not to stare at her. "How've you been? Any trouble?"

"No, uh no, nothing." Evan called from across the street. "Ah, yes. Molly will be getting a bit impatient."

"Of course." He smiled understandingly.

"Would you like to have a coffee some time? I mean of course if you have time?"

He got caught in her eyes. "Yeah. I'd love to."

"Ok, how about Monday?"

"OK, Monday." He couldn't help smiling. Alex gave him her phone number and walked back across the street. He couldn't help staring at her ass.

--

No one said anything as he got into the car, and they drove in silence for a few minutes.

Ruby fidgeted in her seat. "Well if no one else will I'll do it. Who was that Rupert? She looked the real 'jolly hockey-sticks' type"

He stared out the window. "No one. A friend."

"Must be that elusive social life he keeps referring to." Luke sulked. "Let me know when I can have a social life like that, eh?" He ducked when Ruby smacked him on the head.

"Don't be so hard on him Luke" Ruby offered, bursting into a fit of giggling. "Rupert must have needs too."

"I'm pretty sure any discussion of my needs could be saved for a later day." He glared at Ruby.

"Ooh! When would that be?"

"Never."

"Be careful Rupert." Mina offered quietly. She didn't want to stop him from doing what was necessary, but she could worry about it just the same.

"I'm always careful, Mina." He answered, just as quietly.

--

Coffee went well enough that by the time they split up he'd asked her to dinner on Friday night. Activity from the half life had been slow, and Luke had been showing up for his training sessions as scheduled. He could surprise him with a night off. Well Rupert, he thought to himself, it seems you do have needs after all.

Thursday afternoon he was in the stacks with Mina, doing research until Luke showed up for his training, when the phone rang. Looking at the number, he wandered into an aisle of books before he answered.

"I hope you're not calling me to cancel."

Alex's voice crackled through the receiver. They didn't get great reception in the stacks. "No, of course not. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. So am I."

"I was just wondering if you'd like to come here for dinner? Instead of going out. I can cook."

He paused. "Your place? Is that OK? I mean, is it OK with your daughter?"

"Oh, yes. Molly is going away with a girlfriend and her parents for the weekend. Into the country."

Excellent. "Yeah. OK. What time should I be there?"

"How about eight."

He took her address and hung up, whistling as he wandered back to the worktable.

"Who is she, Rupert?"

"Just someone I met in New York. Before I came over here."

"Don't be silly. I felt your heart rate increase when she called your name. Are you sure you should be seeing so much of her?"

"You're not jealous, are you Mina?"

She scowled. "Of course not. But I don't want to see you hurt more than you already have been. Or to see anyone get hurt. You know that."

"Don't worry. I won't be. And she won't be. I won't let it happen." He stood, wandering over to the coffee machine. Fighting with it for a tiny cup of espresso. "She's a police officer, Mina, and she's careful. When we met she was being chased by those fucking wormholes…"

"Kronons?"

"Yeah. Them." He sat again. He told her how they'd met, carefully leaving out the information he didn't want to share. "We're just catching up. No problems."

"If you insist." She went back to her book, doubtful that he'd shared the whole story.

--

Rupert dismissed a stunned Luke and an ecstatic Ruby at 5:00, giving him some story about having earned it, and went back to his hotel room to shower and change his clothes. He settled on his third attempt, leaving out the tie. He had to admit he was nervous. He couldn't remember the last time he's spent time with the same woman more than once. And her daughter was away. Clearly she had expectations. Or at least she wanted to provide the opportunity for something to happen. He took a deep breath, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Well, he was as ready as he'd ever be.

By eight had parked the car on Alex's tree lined street and was bounding up the steps to knock on her door. He was going for a second time when a car slammed to a stop in front of the house and a flustered Alex rushed out carrying a few bags and a box.

"Shit! I can't believe how bloody late I am! Is it really eight already?"

Rupert laughed, his face splitting into a grin as he reached for her bags. "Yes, it is. Let me get those."

"Shit." She fished in her pocket for the keys and led him into the house. "I got stuck in a stupid bloody meeting about paperwork protocols. On a Friday night! Sometimes the bureaucracy is really more than I can bear."

"That's one of the benefits of my line of work. Very few people to be accountable to."

"I'm sorry Rupert. I made a mess of the whole evening before you even got here." She frowned.

"Tell you what Alex. I'll go out and get a pizza and some beer, and you can get cleaned up. How does that sound?"

"I was going to cook." Her face twisted into a disappointed pout.

"You can make it up to me later. Just tell me where to get the pizza."

--

While he was gone Alex showered and changed her clothes. After deciding that dressing up to stay home and eat pizza was pathetic, and possibly obvious, she settled on grey trousers and a blood red oxford shirt she only wore if she was going out after work. She didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard. Although trying for what she still wasn't certain. Just the night? She wasn't even sure he was that interested. Longer term? It seemed so unlikely. She certainly found him attractive, but the rest?

There was that whole demon hunting thing. She looked in the mirror, shaking her head as she put on mascara and lipstick. As her New York experience got further away she found it harder to believe. But there was no way she was letting go of that pager. Possibly forever.

Still, she couldn't help but be attracted to him. There was something compelling in the way he was in complete control over one part of himself and had seemingly no control over the other. She laughed, no different from other men in that area, she supposed. But he was different.

She'd managed to set out plates and glasses before he arrived. Reaching for the pizza when she opened the door, she led him her into the dining room.

"I went for the veggie special, it that alright?"

"Perfect."

He sat at the table as she opened the box, each of them reaching for a slice. He watched her as she poured her beer into a glass. "You look more relaxed."

"Yes, thanks." She smiled. "Managed to get reasonably cleaned up."

"Nah, you look great." He chewed and watched her, wondering which one of them would make the first move.

"I'm surprised you're not working. You know, demon chasing or whatever you call it."

He chuckled. "I often am on Friday night. Most nights actually. It's usually a lot of night work. Still, not too many half lives causing trouble at the moment. And Luke has been whining for a night off for weeks. Seemed like a good time." He drained his beer bottle and opened another. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually been this eager. He hoped he could just enjoy it.

"Can I ask you a question? About this time travel…_stuff_?"

"Go ahead. But I'm not sure I can tell you much. I've never actually done it." He smiled, leaning on the table and looking at her.

"What happens? Where do you go? I mean, I don't understand how you can be in two times at the same, well, time. It seems impossible." She was shaking her head.

Rupert leaned back, inhaling contemplatively before he answered. "I'm not sure it's that simple. You know, there's no reason to believe that if you were sent back in time it would be along the same timeline as the one you're in. That, if you never returned you would simply cross your own, original time. You could be along a completely different path, with completely different people. No one knows for sure." He shrugged. "You must watch Doctor Who, I'm sure he's covered this." He grinned, enjoying making her laugh. Truth was he had no idea what would happen.

"Assuming I'm willing to accept the idea that there are different timelines running along at the same, uh, time" she paused, shaking her head at the complicated nature of it all, "Assuming that, does waking from your demon induced coma inevitably mean that you cease to exist in the other time? I mean, it wouldn't have to, would it?"

He paused before answering. "I don't know. I guess it's possible that you could be medically revived without impacting the supernatural cause of your accident. The two actions may not affect each other." He drained the second beer. "Like I said, it's all really guesswork. And I'm not a physicist. So I can't speak about the quantum nature of any of it."

He watched as Alex considered what he'd said, holding his gaze until she spoke again. "Sam Tyler. He was certain that he had left that existence behind, that he had returned to the present. So certain he committed suicide." Rupert nodded, not sure where she was going. "What if he never left that – time. What if he woke with the memories, but never really left? What if his suicide, motivated by his desire to return, was just that, suicide? Could he have existed in both times without knowing it?"

"I don't know how to answer that. From what I know, and have read, anything is possible, as we simply haven't spoken to enough people who've undergone this experience to have any real idea what happens. What the outcome might be. Most of the time, people who have been sent through their personal wormholes simply remain in a coma until they die. There have been a few instances where people have woken, with the memories, and then been driven completely insane by them." He snaked a third slice of pizza out of the box. "Or they were at least diagnosed as being insane. You would know more about that than I would." He chewed as he watched her think.

She finally shook her head. "I don't know. On the one hand it all seems so unbelievable. But on the other, what does anyone really know about anything?" She shrugged, half smiling.

When they'd finished with dinner Alex took the box and plates and Rupert followed her with the bottles into the kitchen.

"Oh! I almost forgot. One of the reasons I was late." She picked up a small box from the counter, holding it up in front of her. "Dessert."

"Oh yeah? Do I have to guess?" The box very clearly said Butter Cupcake Shop on the top.

"Very funny." She set it back down. "They've only just started the designer cupcake craze over here. I thought you might like them. Would you like some coffee?"

"I would. And what's not to like. Cake, frosting. Tasty."

Alex handed him a plate. "Go on and cut them up, we can sample."

"Cut them up? What for?" He untied the string around the box and looked inside. "What flavor are they?"

"I don't know. That's why I said cut them up."

He shook his head. "That is not how you eat a cupcake. Here" he led one up on front of her. "Lick."

She was momentarily flustered. "What?"

"Lick the cupcake, Alex." He put it closer to her mouth, watching carefully as her tongue snaked out and sampled the icing. "So? What is it?"

"Coconut, I think." She cleared her throat as he ran his finger across the top and stuck it in his mouth.

"You're right. Coconut." He set it down and moved to the next one. "Red velvet? I love red velvet. This will be cream cheese frosting." He grinned as he repeated his finger action. "Mm hmm. And not bad for the British version."

Alex turned and went back to the coffee. Rupert watched the flash of skin at her waist as she reached over her head and pulled two cups out of the cabinet. After she poured he followed her out to the sofa, setting the box of still untasted cupcakes on the table next to the coffee. Rupert pulled another cupcake out of the box, his arm slinking around the back of the sofa as she curled one leg under herself and sat down.

"Try this one." He held it up and she took the requested lick, noticing for the first time just how intently he was watching her.

"Just chocolate" she said as he set it down.

"Yeah?" He leaned closer, kissing her top lip as he ran his tongue across it. "Mmm hmm. Just chocolate."

So that's how it was going to be? Fine. Reaching into the box, she held up a light yellow colored one. "What about this?" She held her breath as he took off half the top with one stroke of his tongue, giggling as he faked thinking about it.

"Banana." He finally said, half smiling at her.

"You're certain?"

He nodded, running his finger across the top and holding it in front of her. "Yes." Her eyes widened. "Go on. Taste."

Hesitantly, she opened her mouth, pulling with just a little more force than necessary as she sucked the banana flavored sugar off his finger. Somehow she managed to hold his gaze. "Yep. Banana it is."

"Good. Now that that's all set." He took the half licked cupcake from her hand and tossed it back into the box, leaning forward again and taking her mouth with his. Alex whimpered quietly as she kissed him back, her tongue seeking his as their kiss deepened, as he pulled her closer.

"Rupert" she murmured through kisses "Is there, um, anywhere you have to be, later I mean."

He answered slowly, not wanting to stop. "Well," he kissed her. "Now that you mention it" he kissed her again. "Yes."

She stopped, looking disappointed. "Oh."

"Yeah." He kissed her again, his tongue sliding against hers. "Where's your bedroom."

Giggling, Alex took his hand and he chased her up the stairs.

--

Standing next to her bed he kissed her again. He hated to admit he was nervous. "You're sure about this?" he asked her.

Alex slid her arms around his waist, pulling him close as she pressed her body against his and looked up at him. "Very."

"Good." He slid one hand under her shirt as the other worked her buttons. Pushing it to the floor he moved to her trousers and Alex was out of them before she could remove any of his clothing.

"Not fair" she whispered as she unhooked his belt, working his zip with one hand as the other pulled on his shirttails and then tugged it still buttoned over his head. "You should be naked too."

"You're not naked yet." He kicked off his shoes, dropping his trousers on the floor as he pushed her gently to the bed. "But you will be." He nibbled her ear, her neck, kissed her throat as he moved to the exposed swell of her breast. Hurriedly he pulled one strap down, and Alex arched her back so he could reach the clasp of her bra. She moaned as he caught her now exposed nipple, sucking on it as it peaked in his mouth. Slowly he kissed her curves, aching to be inside her, but not wanting to rush anything. Not this time.

As his mouth moved across her belly his fingers searched for entry, making her gasp as he found her, wet and inviting. He thrust his fingers slowly inside as his tongue found its target and gently teased her clit. Removing his fingers he settled between her legs, sucking gently as she groaned beneath him, quietly begging him to go on, not to stop, please, god.

Sliding her legs over his shoulders Alex jerked her hips against his mouth, desperate to feel his tongue as it slowly took her apart, as she felt the no longer familiar tingle spread throughout her and she spiraled over the edge, gasping for breath. But he didn't stop there, not after she'd spilled over his tongue, not after her body had gone slack from the release.

When he finally did stop, stretching his body alongside hers, she could feel him smiling against her neck as he kissed and sucked gently at her flesh.

"Was that ok?" He asked, chuckling.

"Yeah," she choked out, smiling and turning to look at him. "That was more than ok Rupert."

"Good" he slipped an arm around her, rolling over and pulling her on top of him. Alex could feel his cock, long and hard against her. After kissing him she pushed herself up, rubbing against him teasingly, watching the look in his eye go from amused to enflamed as she did. Not waiting, he placed his large hands over her ass, sliding her forward until he was positioned under her, entering with a slow thrust.

His head flew back as she rode him, and he let her guide their bodies for a while. Slowly she moved over him, watching carefully as his eyes rolled back into his head, as he clenched his jaw, waiting for her to take him fully inside her. Sure she would come again Alex started to speed up but he held her steady. "Slowly, Alex." He growled "No rush."

When she climaxed again, gasping and clutching at his chest he finally thrust harder. Straining as he drove into her again and again one hand on her hip and the other pulling her ear to his mouth, he exploded, moaning her name over and over.

--

"Alex." She lay stretched out on her stomach, his hand moving over her slowly. "I don't know what I can promise you."

"I haven't asked you to promise me anything Rupert." She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at the clock on the bedside table. It was just barely midnight. Early. "But since you brought it up…"

"Hmm?" He lay his head down on the pillow, looking up at her.

"Can you promise to be here in the morning?"

He smiled. "Yes. That I can promise."


	4. Rescue

**_Sorry it took so long. But I think we're back on track. Even if we'll never actually see Demons again..._**

--

Blinking his eyes, Rupert watched the orange glow of the clock tick over another number. 3:11 am. He'd been watching it for almost twenty minutes, but he knew sleep wasn't coming back. He wouldn't normally even be in bed at this hour. He had to admit she'd tried her best to wear him out, though. After opening up to him about her failed marriage ("We married too young and simply lost interest in each other") and her worries about handling her daughter's teenage years all alone ("They need to go so much further now to feel rebellious") she gave in easily to his kisses and they'd made love again before finally falling asleep. Even with all the workout, two hours was about all he could manage.

Careful not to wake Alex, he slipped his arm out from under her and shifted himself until he was sitting upright, his back against the cherry headboard. It was much too early to think of this as anything other than a casual reacquaintence, but he couldn't stop himself from wondering what would happen next. He'd spent so much of the last three weeks thinking about her.

Now she was lying next to him and he wanted more. With a sigh he shook his head, staring at the ceiling as he did. There was no way this could end well.

He was still wondering what to do when he felt Alex stir, murmuring quietly "Rupert? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine." He smiled gently. "I don't usually sleep much anyway."

Reaching one hand over his thigh Alex pushed herself up on the other elbow and looked at him, smiling slyly. "Is there anything you want to talk about? I am psychologist, you know."

He smiled back. "Hmm. Yes I do know that." His eyes traveled over her bare breasts, back up to her mouth, her eyes. "I was just thinking about you."

"About me?" Alex had noticed him admiring her and sat up, the sheet falling to uncover the rest of her body in the process. It had the desired effect and she watched his eyes narrow with a spark of desire. He'd seemed to have conquered whatever problems he'd been having when they'd first met and he'd been more that able to satisfy her. Not to mention the fact that he'd been funny, interesting, and interested in her. She couldn't help wanting to take it further. "What have you been thinking about me?"

Rupert shifted his leg as Alex crawled into his lap, resting between his thighs and leaning against his chest. She twisted her body around sideways and started nibbling on his chin. He closed his eyes.

"Mmmmm, things…" he trailed off as her lips reached his and she slid her tongue into his mouth. He held her tighter, gasping as her fingernails traced a trail over his chest. "Keep that up Alex and you'll never find out what I was thinking" he murmured. He could feel himself get hard again, and knew she must have noticed.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, whispering "So tell me."

He lied. But only a little. "I was thinking about how surprised I was to see you. And that you wanted to see me again."

"Surprised? Why?"

"Well I didn't exactly show you a good time in New York."

"You're showing me a pretty good time now."

She gazed up into his eyes and he swallowed hard. This was insane. With no small effort he tore himself away, staring at the ceiling. "I thought about you a lot over the last few weeks too, Alex. Wondering if I'd ever see you again. Wondering if you'd want to."

"What else?" Alex ran her fingers over his collarbone, down his chest, her lips pressing against his skin everywhere she touched. He shifted a little as she slid lower, groaning lightly as her lips grazed his now swollen cock.

"Oh, god, I definitely thought about that." He gasped as her lips circled his tip, slowly, gently sucking him deeper into her mouth. "Oh yeah, I thought about that a lot."

Spreading his legs wider he reached behind his head, both hands gripping the headboard as his head fell back and he felt Alex's tongue flick around him, teasing, tasting. He didn't want her to stop, begged her not to as he relived the fantasy he'd had every day since they'd met. Her lips wrapped around his aching flesh, her hands teasing his balls. Now it was happening, and he was sure it would be his undoing.

Sensing his helplessness Alex took her time. It had been a long time since she'd had any man as thoroughly as this, and she wanted to savor it. Everything about him turned her on – his taste, his smell, how badly he wanted her and how willing he was to show it.

"Oh Alex, I can't hold on!" Glancing up she saw him gripping the wooden headboard. The muscles in his arms popped as he nearly pulled it from the wall. His head was thrown all the way backward.

"Do you want me to slow down?" She murmured. She wanted him to look at her, to watch. He shook his head. "Look at me Rupert." His eyes flew open as he did, as if suddenly aware that she was there, doing all the things he'd imagined.

And suddenly he was, his fingers tangled into her hair as she swallowed him, her teeth grazing along his shaft as she drew him deeper. _"Please, Alex. Please."_ Her eyes never left his as her tongue snaked and flicked around him, as she sucked and released, and sucked again until _"oh, god, ohgodohgod,"_  
Alex felt his flesh throb against her tongue, felt him release completely into her mouth, gasping, her name on his lips.

The pounding between her own legs was so strong as she swallowed that she couldn't think. "Rupert…I need…" She knelt between his legs, holding his face in her hands as he nodded. "I know." Shaking, he rolled her to her back, easily sliding two fingers into her, thrusting fiercely. Nudging her legs further apart with his knees he settled between her, still hard, still wanting her, he entered easily and she cried out as he thrust fast, hard, erratic. He didn't stop, couldn't stop, until he burst again, Alex clawing his back, crying out as she climaxed with him.

--

"Rupert?"

He rolled over, still half asleep. "Hmm?"

"It's getting late. We should get up."

He buried his face in a pillow. "Don' wanna."

Alex laughed gently. "Come on. I'll make breakfast." She pulled the blanket off him and held her breath a little.

Rupert caught her looking at him. "We could skip breakfast." He slipped a hand to her face, kissing her.

"Mmmm, I'd love to. But it's already eleven."

"Shit." He frowned. "I have to meet Luke at two." He kissed her again. "Breakfast it is."

Rupert showered and dressed quickly, and Alex had coffee and eggs hot when he made it down to the kitchen.

"This is better than my hotel." He kissed her cheek. "Can I stay here?"

"I don't think so" Alex laughed, then looked away. "But you could come back, you know, if you'd like."

"I'd like that Alex," he said as he sat down across the table. "And I'd like to take you out, too, if you want."

Alex looked up, meeting his eyes again. "I would. Like that, I mean." She cupped her coffee mug in both hands, sipping slowly. "So, uh, when?"

Rupert smiled at her. "How about Wednesday? We could have dinner. Or see a mov-film, sorry. Or there's a recital on Thursday, if you like that instead. My schedule can get a bit unpredictable after dark, but we can plan something. When's good for you?"

She giggled. "I didn't mean to sound so desperate."

He shook his head. "No. I want to see you. Soon. Sooner."

"Ok." She bit her lip. "I'll see when I can get someone to stay with Molly and I'll call you later, OK?"

"Great. Perfect. I can't wait."

--

"Sorry Alex" Rupert slid into a booth across from her after kissing her on the cheek. "Been a crazy week. Far too much demon activity."

"It's OK." She forced a smile. He'd had to cancel on Wednesday and Thursday, and only had a short time free for coffee now that it was Friday morning.

"It's not. I am sorry. Can I make it up to you? How about tomorrow? Are you free?"

"No, I'm not. I'm taking Molly away for the weekend. Her father is getting married next week and I wanted to spend some time with her before he takes her away for the wedding. They'll be gone for a week."

"Oh, Alex. I'm sorry. That can't be easy."

She waved him off. "It's alright, really."

Rupert shook his head. "Bold face, but I doubt it."

"Well, maybe not. But I'll get over it."

"Will you call me when you get back? I miss seeing you." He reached across the table, his fingers curling into hers.

Alex offered him a tight smile. "Yes, well, you don't have the easiest schedule to work around."

"No," He sat back in his chair. "I don't." He let his eyes dart around the restaurant before he spoke again. "I told you Alex. I'm not sure I can promise anything." And he probably shouldn't. It would end up too hard on both of them. Or worse.

"I know, I'm sorry. Just feeling sorry for myself." She looked at her watch. "I should get back to work anyway."

Rupert stood as she gathered her bag, following her out onto the street.

"Call me." He bent to kiss her. "Please."

"I will." She forced a smile.

--

He didn't hear from her for another week, and was sure she had given up. That his schedule was too hard to work around, and probably not worth the effort. His life was too dangerous, too unpredictable. He had left a message, never returned, and had just about given up when she finally rang.

"Rupert?"

"Alex? Is everything alright?"

"What? Oh, yes. Everything's fine. How are you?"

"Um, good. I hadn't heard from you. Was sure you'd given up on me."

"Oh, Rupert. No. I'm sorry. I just had a difficult week." She was silent for a moment. "What are you doing right now?"

"Nothing, really. I was going to have some dinner. Then I have to meet Luke later – for some training." He paused. "Do you want to meet for dinner?"

She took a minute to answer. "Um, I – I'm right around the corner from your hotel." Another pause. "Can I come up? We can decide then."

"Yeah, sure. OK."

In less than 10 minutes he opened the door to a tired looking Alex Drake.

"Hey, you don't look alright." He pulled her tight. Shit. He had missed her.

"I am, really." She looked up, letting him kiss her lightly. "Robert just picked Molly up. I'm just a bit more wrecked over it that I expected."

"Oh, Alex, sweetheart." He couldn't let her go. "Do you want to talk about it?" She looked so vulnerable. Not exactly like she had in New York, the fear wasn't there. But the vulnerability. He couldn't resist it.

She frowned and sat on the edge of the bed, noticing the surroundings for the first time. The suite opened into the bedroom, and a doorway on the left looked like it led to another room. Or possibly rooms.

Did she want to talk about it? "Not really."

"Dinner then? We could get room service if you don't want to go out?"

"Room service sounds good."

--

A few hours and a bottle of wine later Alex sat with him on the sofa, her head against his chest. Rupert had never been less interested in doing his job.

"Alex" he kissed the top of her head. "I have to go."

She burrowed further into his arms. "I know."

He didn't want to leave her. "You could stay here, you know. Watch TV, order more room service. You don't have to go home to an empty house."

"Would you mind? If I stayed?"

He kissed her. "I'd love it. Of course, I may not be back until morning." He kissed her again. "You don't have to wait for me, if you get bored you can go home."

"If I don't get bored?" She slid her hand into his hair.

"Sleep naked."

--

"Rupert! What the bloody hell did you think you were doing back there!" Mina stomped across the floor to the large table in the center of the room.

"I was trying to get us out of there after Luke gave away our position!"

"I already said I was sorry!" Luke threw his pulse gun down on the table. "What else do you want me to do?"

"I want you to fucking pay attention! Mistakes like that will get you, and everyone around you killed! You can't afford to be that careless."

Ruby trailed them in, sitting noisily on one of the heavy wooden chairs. "I'm just glad it wasn't me for a change."

Mina turned her head in Ruby's direction. "Yes. For a change."

Rupert stomped to one of the shelves, pulling out a large bottle of scotch. "Next time you do exactly as I say. No fancy fucking shortcuts." He needed to be drunk.

--

Hours later Rupert crashed through the door of his hotel room. He'd drunk too much out of frustration, and now all he wanted was a quick shower and to fall into bed. And maybe another drink.

"Rupert?"

He nearly jumped out off his clothes. Alex. Right. Shit. Was that good or bad?

"Yeah. Alex. S'me." He stumbled towards the bathroom.

"What time is it?" She rolled over. 5:12 am.

"Dunno." He shut the door behind him. He'd forgotten she was there. They'd all nearly been killed tonight when one demon had become five and they'd barely made it back to the Stacks alive. Then he'd got progressively drunker as they argued about who had screwed up worse. The general consensus was it had been Luke. At least he thought so. Though he might have screwed up a little.

He knew it was just his body responding to his fear, but frequently, after a night of extreme danger and a lot of demon killing he stumbled home with a hard-on. It didn't matter that he didn't want it to. He'd come to accept it and ignored it most of the time. Or dealt with it the only way he knew how. But tonight no amount of alcohol had been able to chase it away. It had been mildly irritating while he was at the Stacks, but now…he thought about Alex, waiting for him. He'd have been satisfied with jerking off, but getting off was better.

After splashing water on his face he went back into the bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, one of his shirts wrapped around her. She was beautiful in the half light, her dark hair, her big eyes. She watched him peel off his clothes.

"Sorry…wake you up." He kissed her, slowly at first, then rougher as she responded in his arms, pressing her body against his.

She had realized he was drunk as he got closer, and she could taste the whisky on him now, on his tongue, in his skin. How long had he been drinking? He smelled like alcohol and sweat and burning rubber. The sight of him naked and fully erect was doing welcome things to her body.

"It's OK" She swallowed. But he was making her a little nervous. "Good night?" She wondered, her eyes round with curiosity. She really had no idea how he would have spent the night. What he would have been doing.

Rupert shook his head, nibbled her lip, his mouth trailing along her chin, down her throat. "No." He caught her earlobe between his teeth as his hands moved over her body. _"Make it better"_ he growled.

"Make it…? I don't…" He covered her mouth roughly with his, his hand sliding over her body, down over her ass. Alex cried out a little as he pulled her closer, lifting her up as he took the few steps to the bed. She could feel his cock hard against her.

He kissed her shoulder, over her breast, lingering on one as he sucked, not gently, on her hard nipple. He needed to fuck, couldn't stand not being inside her, not being anywhere. _"Alex"_ he murmured, his mouth against her skin. "_You do."_

Unable to stand any more he pushed her to the bed. Kneeling between her legs he gripped her hips and plunged into her, gasping and grunting. He tried to thrust, tried to find a rhythm but he couldn't. It was coming too fast, he was coming too fast, not this time, this time he could…

"Shit!" he pulled out. In time.

"Rupert! Are you OK?"

He sat on the bed, his large hands covering his face. He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry. Again."

"What happened?" She put her hand on his chest, afraid he'd jump up, not talk.

"Nothing. Just a hard night."

"We don't have to have sex, you know."

Rupert looked at her, aching for relief. There was no other way. "Yeah, we do." Rolling her again to her back he placed his hands on either side of her head, watching her as he entered. Her eyes fluttered closed as he began to thrust, slowly, pulling out all the way before entering again. Her hips tilted toward him, her legs wrapped around his waist. Still he watched, never closing his eyes. He needed to see her, to want her. It was better. "Tell me you want me."

She was breathless. _"Rupert, I –."_ He swallowed her answer, his tongue reaching into her mouth as he thrust harder, as he broke the kiss. _"Alex"_ he murmured against her mouth, _"I need you…need…tell me please."_

"_Oh. God."_ She groaned as he pushed into her, sure she'd split in two. "_Want…need…Rupert…"_ she clawed at his back. _"I want you. All of you." "Oh god"_ he pushed off the bed, he was coming, he couldn't stop, watching as her face split into a smile, clinging to him as he emptied inside her. _"Don't stop, Rupert, need more…" _In agony he thrust again and again, wanting to give back everything she'd given him, until finally she screamed, arching against him, _"Oh god! Yes! Yes!"_

Both finally spent they fell to the bed, Rupert unwilling to move, wanting to feel her underneath him. He shifted a little when she wriggled, allowing her to breath.

"Rupert?"

Groan. He couldn't talk.

"Better?"

"Yes," he coughed hoarsely.

"Me too."

He pulled her tighter, and fell asleep.

--

When Alex woke the next morning the bed was empty, but quick observation told her Rupert was in the shower. She sat up, pulling his shirt back around her. She hoped she could stay with him a while. Flicking on the telly, she watched the morning news until he appeared, towel wrapped around his waist.

"Morning." He grinned at her and sat on the bed. He cleared his throat. "OK?"

She smiled, and he was sure he was lost. "Very." She leaned forward and kissed him. He wanted this one. For keeps. "Do you have, uh, plans? Today?"

He shook his head. "Not for a while. You?"

She shook her head. She wanted to ask him where he had been. Why he smelled like a car tyre. She didn't.

"Should we get dressed? Do something?" He pushed aside the collar of his shirt, his fingers running lightly over her shoulder. Followed by his mouth.

She shook her head again. "There's nothing I want to do with you today that requires clothing, Rupert."

He chuckled as he pushed his shirt off her, leaving his towel on the floor as he crawled onto the bed.

"Good."


	5. Realisation

_**Sorry about the long delay for this one! Real life has been too real lately. Hopefully it will be a shorter break for the next chapter.**_

_**Thanks for hanging in!**_

--

"Not fast enough Luke! Do it again!"

Rupert watched as Luke reset the obstacles set up in the gym, ignoring the glare from the young man. He knew what it was. He'd spent every night this week with Alex, and somehow they all knew it. Luke hadn't been shy about telling him how hypocritical it was to tell Luke he could never have a normal life, all the while sneaking around having one himself. Rupert took it all without comment.

He couldn't comment. He didn't know what to say. He knew shouldn't be seeing as much of Alex as he was, but he couldn't stop himself. And it hardly felt normal. Like a life. At first it had just been the sex , but it didn't take him long to figure out that that wasn't all that had been missing from his life. He wanted more from this woman, he knew. He just wasn't sure how much. Or if she felt the same way.

At least Luke had the smarts not to give him grief in front of Mina and Ruby, but he was sure Mina knew anyway. It was only a matter of time before she said something. Or did something. She wouldn't let him off. As bad an idea as he thought it was, Mina was worse. Too many years of disappointment, he supposed. But he was involved now, and he didn't want to stop it.

Rupert sighed to himself as Luke finished the training course for the third straight time. He was getting better. He needed Luke to get better faster. Too bad he still had so much to learn.

"That's enough."

Luke turned and nodded, his face glistening with sweat. Rupert knew he wanted him to say something, to tell him he'd done a good job. "That was better Luke. You're really starting to improve." But not fast enough. He needed Luke to be more dedicated to the cause. "Go home and get cleaned up. We're meeting Mina at the Stacks in about two hours."

"Tonight? You've taken every other night off this week, why tonight?"

"You're the one who wants to research that missing child case. We'll cut out after a couple of hours and you can go to whatever party you had planned later."

Luke sat on the mat and pulled off his shoes. "Hot date again Galvin?"

"What I do with my free time, what little I have, is none of your business. You need to stay focused on your training."

"I will if you will."

Rupert turned. "What the hell does that mean?"

Luke recoiled slightly, sniffing. "It's just that for someone who has a tendency to go on about how I can never have a life, you seem to be enjoying yours quite a bit."

In one step Rupert was nose to nose with Luke. "You have no idea what I am or am not enjoying. And until you understand the seriousness of your own situation I suggest you mind your own business. There are creatures all over this planet who want you dead. Maybe you should try to focus on that."

For a few seconds Luke stood his ground. "See you at the stacks, then."

As he turned and walked out Rupert stared at his back. He was going to have to do something about this.

–

"Rupert it's Alex." She didn't have to tell him. He knew her voice, looked forward to it. Even over the telephone it went straight through him. "Have you got time for a late dinner?"

He looked at his watch. Just after nine. "I can be there in half an hour." He flipped his phone shut, shoving it back in his pocket as he wandered out of the aisle of books he'd taken refuge in and sat down next to Mina at the research table.

"Begging off early again Rupert?"

He grunted. He didn't want to talk about it with her, already knowing what she'd say, what she thought.

"Rupert, this is every day this week. Do you think that's wise?"

"Wise? What do you mean?"

"Well you've been with her every night for a week. She might get the wrong idea, Rupert." Mina leaned over, whispering, her tone mock conspiratorial. "Think that you're forming a relationship."

"Don't worry Mina. Her daughter's coming home on Saturday and she won't have time for me any more. It's really just a temporary distraction for both of us." He smiled reassuringly, but all he could think about was Alex Drake. Even thought she hadn't talked about it, Rupert knew she hated that Molly was gone, that her ex was moving on. He could feel how vulnerable she was every time he touched her. It only made him want her more.

He thought about how she felt lying beneath him, how she'd cling to him when they'd finish, her arms and legs wrapped around him so tightly he was sure she'd never let him go. He was sure he didn't want her to.

"So can we all leave then?" Ruby's popping gum interrupted his thoughts. "I mean, if you're leaving then we don't have to stay, do we?" She looked around, her face a question.

"Nope." Rupert pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "Luke has a bit more studying to do. I, however, am leaving." He got as far as the door and turned around. "Don't forget Luke. I'll be picking you up at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Meet me after your class lets out. We have an appointment."

Luke sighed heavily, slamming his book closed as the heavy door swung shut behind Rupert.

--

"Alex it's almost midnight. Are you sure you want me to stay?" They'd had dinner at a bistro a few blocks from Alex's house and had walked back.

As Alex dug into her purse for keys Rupert stood behind her, his arms around her waist, idly kissing the top of her head. "Yes, I'm sure. I've quite enjoyed this week you know." She laughed. "I can't remember the last time I spent a week in bed with a man. I'm not in any hurry to end it."

"Well, to be fair we haven't spent all week in bed. You go to work. I've done some research." They entered the hall and he spun her around gently, pulling her closer. "If you want to spend a whole week in bed I'm game."

"That sounds nice." She tilted her face toward his and he couldn't resist, kissing her deeply as she melted against him.

"Tell me when" he mumbled against her lips.

"Can we go upstairs now, schedule later?" She bit his lip gently, pulling him toward the stairs.

--

Alex inhaled sharply as her legs hit the edge of the bed. Rupert pulled her against him with one hand around her waist as the other tangled in her hair, pulling her into a kiss. She loved the way he kissed her, like it was an end in itself, there was nothing else he'd rather be doing. She hardly noticed when he unbuttoned her blouse, only the low rumble in his chest as his hand slid over her breast brought her back.

They'd spent every night together since Molly had gone away. She hadn't intended it, but it just seemed to happen. She'd shown up unannounced at his hotel room twice, they'd had dinner, and she'd stayed the night. She couldn't remember any man she'd ever been with making her feel they way he did. She could feel how much he wanted her, needed her, with every touch. Even when he had nothing to give, when all he could do was take from her.

She knew it would end soon. Molly would come home, she'd have her responsibilities. She couldn't spend her nights naked in someone's arms. She would miss him.

"This for me?" He murmured

This morning, she'd even anticipated seeing him, managing a matching bra and knickers for the first time in what felt like years. She giggled.

"Maybe." She grabbed his shoulders as he pushed her trousers smoothly over her hips.

"You're too good to me" he growled, kissing her as they moved together onto the bed.

"You know, for this to work you have to take off your clothes too." She tilted her head back as his lips trailed across her neck, down over the curve of her breast.

"'M busy." He reached behind her, unhooking her bra as she arched her back, pressing herself against his shirt. "You undress me."

His mouth, hands explored her body as she tugged at his buttons. She tugged as he nipped at her flesh, kissing down her belly until all she could do was pull his shirt over his head as he pulled her knickers down over her ankles.

"_Oh, god, Rupert"_ Alex gasped as his mouth covered her, his tongue exploring, tasting, teasing until she couldn't think straight. _"Please don't stop. Don't ever stop."_ She pushed her hips against his mouth, desperate to finish, but instead he pulled away. "Don't...Rupert..." She heard him chuckle as he kissed quickly up her body, his tongue snaking into her mouth.

Frantically she pulled at his belt, unfastened his trousers. She needed him, wanted him. Reaching into his boxers she felt him, hard and hot. He groaned as she squeezed, as he pushed his trousers down, as he sunk into her. Alex pulled him tighter as he thrust once, twice, again, harder and harder until he pulled out. _"Roll over"_ he growled.

She let him guide her onto her belly, shivering as he kissed her shoulder, her back. As his hands moved over her flesh, gripping her by the waist as he pulled her to her knees. She heard him grunt as he entered her again, moving slowly at first. A glance over her shoulder and she saw him – head back, eyes closed, moving against her, inside her, pulling her hard against him as he thrust deeper. He groaned louder, muttering words she couldn't hear. Alex shook when he reached for her clit, as if suddenly remembering she was there, carefully teasing until her body rocked and she knew he was close too. He moaned louder, thrust faster, gripped her harder until he exploded, falling onto her back, slowly pulling her to the bed, holding her tight.

She nestled against him, feeling his sweat against her back, his mouth open on her neck. He held her tighter. She turned slightly when he mumbled, reaching back to run her hand through his hair..

"Rupert?"

"Said I love you Alex." He kissed her shoulder, and she felt his breath, warm on her skin as it slowed, as he snored lightly in her hair.

Alex swallowed. What?

–-

Rupert woke disappointed, his arm curled into empty sheets. He waited a few minutes for her to come back to bed, then swung his legs over the edge and pulled on his pants. He knew Alex had to work today, but he had hoped they'd have some time together before they had to separate. He was pulling his shirt on when she came back into the bedroom, towel wrapped around her and wet hair hanging over her shoulders.

"You're up early." He hooked an arm around her waist as she walked past him, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Early meeting." She placed his hands against his still bare chest as he pulled her closer. She couldn't help kissing him.

"How about a late night then? I can meet you here, or you can come to my hotel when you're done with work."

"I don't know Rupert. Molly's coming home tomorrow and there are so many things I should do. I need to go shopping, do some washing."

"OK." He let go of her, sitting back down on the bed. "I can come here. I like it here. Less like being in a hotel." He smiled at her.

"Rupert" She wasn't sure how to do this part. "Maybe we should take the night off." She sat down next to him.

Oh. "Why? It's the last night we'll have together for a while. You don't want to see me?"

"It's not that, it's just...Molly knows I've been on a few dates, but I haven't told her any more. It just seems like too much all at once. With her father getting remarried so soon after the divorce. I want to be able to give her time to adjust."

"So you haven't told her about me."

Alex shook her head, her mouth set in a line. "I haven't. I'm sorry."

Rupert was silent as he buttoned his shirt.

"Rupert, I have no idea where this is going. And it's important that her life be consistent. I can't have a string of men move in and out of her life. I need to know first. To be sure."

He chewed the inside of his mouth. "A string of men. Is that what I am?"

"No, no. That's not what I meant. In fact there haven't really been any men." She wrung her hands nervously. "Only you."

"Then what are you worried about." He stood up, rounding on her. He tried not to shout. "I'm not going anywhere Alex." He paused. "Unless you want me to."

"No, Rupert. I don't. I just think I need more time. For Molly. You do understand, don't you?"

"No." He picked his jacket up off the floor, shrugging it over his shoulders.

"Please Rupert. Her birthday is on Thursday. I just want it to be special. For it all to be about her. The divorce was hard on her and I don't want her to feel like she has to share her birthday with the new person in her mother's life the week after her father remarried." She stood up and put her hand on his arm. "Just give me until after that. She's going to need some time to adjust. I just don't want to ruin her birthday. Please."

He looked wounded. Maybe she wasn't ready for this. Maybe they weren't.

"I'll go then." He turned and walked through the bedroom door. "Don't want to be in your way."

Alex watched him walk out the door, waiting a moment before throwing on her dressing gown and chasing after him. "Rupert! Please don't leave angry."

He stopped at the front door, turning around slowly as he pulled it open. "I'm not." He stared at the ceiling. Disappointed. In himself? Maybe. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it isn't such a good idea."

"Rupert I do want this. It's just, so fast. And I have to think about what's best for Molly."

"Yeah." He avoided her eyes, but let her put her arms around his waist. "I'm not good at this." He finally looked at her.

"I know." She tilted her face toward his. "I'm not either." She wriggled closer, kissing him gently. "I think we both just need time."

He couldn't help kissing her back, holding her face between his hands. His arms moved around her as their kiss deepened, their tongues working to bring each of them together. He didn't want to go.

"You both do know the door is open?"

Alex broke away. "Evan!" She glanced at Rupert, his rumpled morning after appearance, coupled with her in her dressing gown. Then at Evan standing on the porch. He was going to have a million questions.

Rupert stood for a second, then, freeing his hand from around Alex stuck it toward Evan. "Rupert Galvin." He smiled.

Evan looked momentarily flustered. "Sorry Alex. I didn't mean to interrupt." He turned to Rupert. "Nice to finally meet you. Alex has told me about you. I've been wondering when she was going to bring you out of hiding."

"Evan is, uh, my godfather. And Molly's." She nervously explained. "Evan raised me after my parents died."

"Oh. Well." He kissed Alex on the cheek. "I'd better go. Great to meet you Evan. I hope we see each other again soon." Rupert looked pointedly at Alex as she tried not to glare at him.

Evan looked at Alex too. "So do I."

–-

Evan followed Alex back into the house. "So how often have you been seeing him?"

"Evan I am 33 years old. I don't have to tell you every time I go out on a date."

"That looked like more than a date Alex."

"I have to go to work." She turned and started up the stairs, stopping after a few steps. "Why are you here so early anyway?"

"Oh." He reached into his jacket pocket and removed an envelope. "I picked these up for you and Molly."

Alex took the envelope and looked inside. Two tickets to _Mamma Mia!_ in the West End.

"They're for Sunday night. I thought she might want to go. You two could go together, I mean after a week with Robert she might like the night out on the town."

"Oh Evan, thank you. She'll love it." Alex hugged him. "She's been nagging me to go."

"I actually didn't think you'd still be home. I was going to drop them off."

"Would you like to come over tomorrow for dinner after Molly gets home? I'm sure she'd love to see you too."

"I would, but I'm going away for the weekend. Maybe I'll come by during the week." Alex nodded. "Alex, I'm only asking because I care about you. What's going on with this man? Rupert Galvin. Is it serious?"

Alex sat of the step, wrapping her dressing gown around her tight. "I don't know. We're kind of still in the discovery stage." She looked away slightly embarrassed. She hated talking about dating with Evan. It made her feel like a teenager again. "But I like him. And I think he likes me too."

"He's a bit older than I expected. He must be ten years older than you."

Alex shrugged, ignoring his concerned look. "Maybe. It hasn't come up. I don't care, either. He's much nicer than any of the men I've ever dated in my own age group." She stood up. "We'll just have to see what happens. Now I have to get to work. I'm late enough as it is."

–-

Two days later Rupert lay awake in a hospital bed, absentmindedly eating the grapes Luke had left behind. He hadn't called Alex to tell her he'd been injured even though he'd wanted to. He knew she would be with Molly, making the most of their reunion, just happy she was back home. She didn't need him to distract her.

He was being released today and he could call her later, after he got back to his hotel room. He'd been so busy since he last saw her that he hadn't even been back to his room to sleep. The idea of it suddenly made him feel unbearably lonely. Maybe that was why he hadn't gone back. He didn't want to. He wanted to be with her. Only he couldn't tell if she felt the same way.


	6. Regrets

**_We're back!!_**

**_First off, let me apologize for the extremely long delay between chapters. When I didn't finish this before the second series of Ashes started I knew there would be a delay, but I didn't anticipate one this long. I'm honestly surprised I've managed to get back to it at all. But I promised a few people I would. So here it is._**

**_I also want to apologize for the fact that my general disappointment with Ashes probably impacted this chapter, and possibly the next one, in a negative way. I'm not feeling terribly generous towards Gene Hunt, or towards the actor, and it shows. Sorry. I'll get over it. Not that either one of them will care. Lol._**

**_So thanks to anyone who's been reading, and I promise the next chapter will be soon. I've already started it. We'll get this thing finished one way or another._**

_**Special thanks to grainweevil for the transcripts, louella for special services and my editor for not abandoning me, or killing me, at any time in the last 4 months.  
**_

**_I own nothing...._**

–

Alex pushed the red button on her phone, not for the first time. She had been trying to call Rupert all afternoon, but could never manage to stay on the line until he picked up. And she didn't want to leave him a message. She would need to see him in person, it was the least she owed him. He'd been so nice to her. Saved her life. But it would be better for Molly if they didn't go on. At least for now.

–

He was on his third scotch. He knew why she'd called him, by the way she said his name. It was cold, he couldn't hear her smile. He shouldn't be surprised. She was too messed up by something, her ex-husband maybe. Men, generally, he suspected, and he probably hadn't helped by wanting to see her so much. But he couldn't help it. All or nothing. He couldn't go halfway. He had hoped she wanted him too.

Now she was late, and as he drained his glass the tall redhead that had been staring at him all night made her move, slinking up to the bar next to him.

"You know, I thought you were waiting for someone, but you've been drinking on your own for over an hour. Would you like some company?"

Rupert frowned, considering her. She was attractive enough – long legs, almost pretty. He shook his head. "You were right the first time."

The redhead forced a seductively disappointed pout. "Shame." she turned to go. "But if you change your mind..." She turned to go. "I'll be at that table in the corner."

"I'll keep that in mind." He tried to sound disinterested, but the scotch had gotten to him. He watched her ass wiggle away.

"Making a new friend?" Alex appeared out of nowhere.

Shit. "No." He turned to look at her, steeling himself for what was coming. "Drink?"

"Um, yeah. OK." She figeted with a bar napkin as she sat on the barstool next to him. "White wine." She waited until she had her drink before she said anything else. "I've been thinking Rupert."

"I see." He shifted away from her, leaning his back against the bar. "And what have you been thinking about Alex?" She frowned and he wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth. He forced himself to look at her eyes instead.

"Molly. About Molly. And what's good for her." She sipped her wine. "I just think it's too soon. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry Alex, but I can't accept that. It doesn't make any sense to me." He stared at the ceiling. It had little cherubs painted all over it. He wondered briefly if the proprietor knew cherubs would rip off the head off a human and suck his brains through his neck without thinking. Probably not. "Is there something wrong? Haven't you been happy? You seemed happy..." He felt drunk. He hoped he wasn't slurring.

"That's not it Rupert. Please try to understand." She realized then he'd had more to drink than she thought. He was drunk. Good. It made it easier. She didn't need a drunk.

"I don't." He shook his head. "I don't understand why being with someone who makes you happy could be bad for your daughter. Shit, you don't even know if she likes me or not." She wasn't even giving him a chance. "Alex I -"

She stopped him. "No. Please don't. I need you to respect my decision."

She got up to leave and Rupert threw some money on the bar, following her out into the street. "Is this because I'm in love with you? Is that it? Because I am. And I don't care that you're not in love with me. You're so fucking messed up it's OK if we're just screwing around, but fuck it if it's serious?"

She looked at him like he'd hit her. "You barely know me. How can you think you're in love with me?" Several couples walked by, staring at them. She did not want to have this argument in the street.

He wanted to tell her he knew the night they met. That there was something in her eyes that turned him inside out, drew him so deeply inside her he wasn't certain he'd get out. That her vulnerability made him weak, and her strength made him better. That he was a mess too. That he wanted her. She'd saved his life.

He reached for her arm but she pulled away. "Because I do" was all he could manage.

"Please let me go." She turned away, and Rupert watched her get into her car and drive off.

–

Forty minutes later the redhead was tearing the buttons off his shirt, her hands moving over him so fast he worried for a moment she might not be human. He couldn't remember her name – Becky? Meg? Who the fuck knew. He didn't really care as her tongue ran over his chest, her hands tugged at his pants. Once she'd got his shirt open and his pants bunched around his ankles he took over. He didn't want to take his clothes off.

He couldn't look at her face. Lifting the hem of her dress above her waist and pushing her face down onto the bed he felt bad for a moment then plunged inside her. Pulling her hips up he pushed in deep, her ass tight against him. She squealed – in pleasure he thought, as he thrust hard and fast. But now that he was here he wanted it over. Come and go he told himself, and he pushed deep and pulled out again and again. Only he couldn't. He couldn't come. Hard and fast, short and slow, he lost track of time. Her cries of pleasure turned into just cries but he couldn't stop. Thrusting harder he screwed his eyes shut, pushing thoughts of Alex from his mind until his body finally gave in to the pain, his mouth falling open as he exploded, nowhere near satisfied.

–

"Yeah, whatever. That is so lame."

Alex sighed. "Return the classified document, thank you." She tried to change the subject. "What did Evan get you for your birthday, Molls?" \

"A Blackberry."

"Oh yeah? I'll get you some more while you're at school and you can make a birthday crumble." Molly giggled. Alex did love her laugh, even if she was far too smart for her own good. "Did your dad manage to...?"

"No. He's in Canada with Judy."

"Hmm." Bastard. Not even a phone call?

"So, this guy, Taylor..."

"Tyler. He died. April, last year."

"Schizo? Delusional? What's the German one? Is he going in 'the book'?" Molly flipped her fingers up into air quotes.

Alex really hated when she did that. A teenager already. She sighed. "Oh, DCI Tyler's getting a book all to himself." But was he? Given what she'd learned in the past few months, she had no idea where to start. She couldn't exactly write the truth. If it was the truth. She hardly knew what to think any more. She thought about Rupert. Was she really making the right decision for herself? Or for Molly? The police radio broke into her thoughts on the subject.

_"Charlie 75 to DI Drake."_

"Roger that."

"_South Bank, outside Tate Modern. Gunman has taken female hostage. Trojan units are assigned. Over."\_

"Shit!" She did not need this this morning. "Pass me the thing. Molls. Pass me, pass me." Alex reached for her siren.

"I'll do it!"

"OK. Hold on." In minutes she pulled up to the curb, behind a crowed obviously gathered around whatever situation was playing out in front of them. "OK. Now stay put, sweetheart."

Molly watched her mother run toward the crowd. "Mum, don't go."

But she did.

–

Rupert rubbed the towel over his wet hair as he stepped into the bedroom. He wanted to forget last night, every part of it. Alex was right to dump him. He'd gone back to the bar, downing a few more drinks before deciding he'd just give her some time and try again. Then the redhead had offered herself and he'd let her lead him to her flat. He couldn't remember where it was. A normal life wasn't in his future, it seemed..

Sitting heavily on the bed he ordered room service and lit a cigarette before turning on the television. He was due to meet Luke at 10:30 at the gym for training, then hoping to get drunk for lunch.

He was flicking channels when he saw it. Saw her. Alex on television, clearly involved in some police activity. _No._ In the second it took to pick up the phone and dial Luke a young girl ran into the shot and all hell broke loose. _Shitshitshit._ He pulled on clothes and ran out, Luke already on his way to meet him.

–

"You... you... you feel trapped. I mean, I can understand that. Those officers were itching for a fatality outcome." Keep talking Alex. Keep him talking and he might let you go.

The last thing she saw was a dull orange glow around the rims of of his sunglasses.

--

"I'm looking for Detective Inspector Alex Drake." Rupert accosted the first officer he saw at the scene.

"And who are you?" The officer frowned at him suspiciously.

"A friend. A good friend. I saw her on the television and I can't reach her on her cell, her mobile." He turned to Luke, nodding his head down towards the bank. Luke set off down the steps.

The officer still looked suspicious. "I suppose I can tell you that Inspector Drake left a while ago. She was headed out to her station, I believe. Reports."

Rupert shook his head. "She never made it." Turning, he ran down the steps after Luke, finding him looking underneath the jetty.

"Nothing here Galvin." He looked around. "She could be anywhere."

"I know. But she's not far. I know it." He did. He didn't know how, but he knew. She was somewhere nearby. "Let me have your police radio." Luke had been carrying it, but they hadn't picked up anything helpful. Rupert held it, staring at it. Willing it to tell him something. Tell him anything. When it crackled he almost jumped out of his skin.

"_Inspector Drake's car has been found abandoned...near the Greenwich peninsula. No sign of Drake...searching...all officers...."_

He threw the radio at Luke and ran back up the steps to his car, Luke on his heels.

–

He found her car first. The police must not have moved it yet. Surely they'd found it but why wasn't there anyone around? No matter, he opened the door and searched for her bag, digging around in it until he found her pager. Why didn't it work? He pushed the power button. Nothing. She let the fucking battery go dead. "Fuck." He punched the roof of the car. Why didn't he remind her more often?

"Galvin, there are a couple of boats down there along the bank. Let's go." Rupert stared at Luke. Then followed him down to the riverside.

The searching brought them to a dilapidated boat with _Prince Charlie_ faded into the wooden planks. Without thinking he ran over the walkway onto the boat, with Luke hanging behind on the bank. It was this one. It had to be this one. Ducking into the darkened hold he found her, lying on her back, blood seeping from her head. Rupert cursed and choked back a sob, falling to his knees beside her. Feeling for and finding a pulse with one hand he flipped open his cell phone with the other and called for an ambulance. Would it get here in time? While he was waiting he examined the rest of her. One shot to the head, but she wasn't loosing a lot of blood. It looked like the bullet had penetrated her skull, but it was a shot not intending to kill. Fucking monsters. He couldn't see any more than that and had to fight his urge to pick her up and carry her off the boat, run to the hospital himself.

After an eternity he knew was only minutes, he heard the sirens and let the air out of his lungs. He waited for the paramedics, telling them everything he knew and giving them Evan White's name as her next of kin.

"Would you like to come with us to the hospital sir?"

More than anything. But he still had something to take care of. "I'll meet you there."

–

Once the paramedics had left Rupert found Luke waiting on the bank.

"I need to find this bastard Luke. I don't think it was human."

"Not human? You mean those wormhole things that were chasing her in New York? How d'you know?"

Rupert nodded. "I'm sure of it. He didn't try to kill her, just put her in a coma. Stay near the boat but out of sight. I'm going to have a look around."

"How will I know it's him?"

"Orange eyes."

"Orange. Check."

Killing this thing wouldn't bring Alex back from wherever she was, but it might make him feel better for about three seconds. He'd take the three seconds.

After an hour of searching his frustration level was so high he'd have shot anything that came near him. Nothing did. Another twenty minutes convinced him he'd never find Alex's attacker, and he headed back to the boat. As he got near he spied Luke walking toward him from the opposite direction, cursing the boy under his breath. Stupid kid couldn't even follow instructions. Rupert sighed. Maybe he'd found something.

But as he got closer he realized it wasn't Luke. He kept walking, not changing his pace, hoping he didn't look as if he were heading for the boat. Maybe it was the half-life scum who attacked Alex. But how would he know? He'd have to be ready.

The stranger reached the boat before Rupert and when he turned onto the walkway Rupert knew he had his man. He reached the end of the walkway at a run, calling out.

"Don't move!"

The man turned into Rupert's raised pulse gun. His eyes grew wide for a moment as he stared at the gun, but it was the flash of recognition as he looked into Rupert's face that made him hesitate.

"It can't be. No...it can't be you. _You're dead_."

Rupert froze. "Dead? What the...?" He never got his answer as the man's eyes glowed orange and he disappeared in flash, purple tendrils disappearing into the air with a crack to reveal Luke standing behind him, pulse gun glowing..

"Please tell me it was him." Luke asked. "I'd hate to think I killed a person by mistake."

Rupert stared into the spot previously occupied by the half-life. What did he mean he was dead? "It was him."

"Good." Luke moved down the walkway. "Let's get you to the hospital."

–

By the time they arrived Evan and Molly were waiting in the visitors' lounge. Rupert made a bee-line for them.

"Is there any word?" Please let her be alive. He would go away, leave her alone, anything she wanted, just let her be alright. He had no idea what he was praying to.

"She's in surgery." Evan looked worried. "We've got no other news."

"You must be Molly." He tried to smile at the girl clinging to Evan's arm. The daughter Alex wouldn't let him meet. If he had just been with her.

She nodded. "Who are you?"

"My name is Rupert Galvin. I'm a friend of your mother." There were empty chairs and he gestured for all of them to sit down, Molly in between the two men. He wanted to say something more, but he didn't know what. Did they know Alex didn't want to see him any more? Was he even welcome?

"Galvin I can't thank you enough for finding her. How did you know?"

Rupert swallowed hard. "I saw the hostage situation on television this morning. I guess instinct took over after that." He shrugged, not knowing how much Alex had told her godfather about him, about who he was. Not much, he suspected.

Evan nodded. "Yes, Alex did say you worked special government projects." He raised his eyebrows knowingly.

Christ, he thinks I'm a hired killer. OK. He lowered his voice. "I want you both to know that the man who did this will never bother her again. Or anyone."

"Did you find him?" Evan's eyes widened.

"Yes."

Molly looked up at Rupert. He thought she looked pleased. "Evan, I'm hungry."

"I know. But I don't want to go anywhere until we hear something about your mother." Molly pouted.

"I can take her. Is there a cafeteria or something?" He needed to do something, and he didn't want to leave the hospital.

"What? Oh, yes. The canteen's on the 2nd floor." He turned to Molly. "Is that OK Molls?"

She nodded.

"OK. Please come get us if there's news. Any news." Evan agreed.

Molly slid her hand into Rupert's as they walked toward the elevator. "Did you kill him? The man who hurt my mum?"

He took a considered breath as he reached to punch the elevator button. How much do you admit to a 13 year old girl? Turning to look Molly in the eye, he slowly exhaled. "Yes."

"Good."

–

There was no news that night. Or the next day or the day after. Rupert spoke to Evan every few hours, but the story was always the same. The surgery went well, they removed the bullet, her reflexes were good and her brain activity was encouraging. Her body simply needed time to recuperate. It could be days, or weeks, or never. They simply didn't know.

By the fourth day Rupert could barely see straight, so when Luke mentioned Mr. Tibbs he went hunting. Found him too, even tortured him before killing him. It didn't make him feel any better – well, it did for a few minutes, but at least he had closure on that part of his life. He had returned to the stacks for a drink when his phone rang.

"Galvin?" It was Evan. "She's awake."

–

Rupert waited in the corridor outside Alex's room. He shouldn't even be there, but he'd managed to sneak his way past anyone who should have been paying attention. He didn't even know if she would see him at all, but he had to know she was alright, what had happened. If she would see him.

He didn't have to wait long. The doctors chased Evan and Molly out quickly so they could run tests, and so Alex could rest. Molly hugged him when she saw him waiting.

"She's awake! She's awake!! Mummy's awake!!"

He couldn't help smiling too. "I'm so happy for you Molly. How's she feeling?" He looked at Evan. Did she ask about me?

"As well as can be expected, I think. But she could talk, and she recognized us. I told her you found her, and how much you've done. She wanted me to thank you but wasn't sure she could handle another visitor yet. I suspect she just doesn't want to see you looking like she's woken up from a coma." Evan smiled.

Maybe. But surely she'd see him in the next few days, wouldn't she? He just needed to see her. Then he'd leave her alone. "Oh, of course, of course. She'll need some time to get her strength. I'm just happy she's awake. And feeling herself. It's a lot to deal with. She must be tired." Jesus Christ could he say anything meaningful at all? "If she needs anything at all. Or you or Molly, please, don't hesitate."

"I won't. Thank you." Evan took Rupert's hand with both of his. He understood. He was just as relieved.

–

Rupert showed up at the hospital every day, hoping to see Alex, but she wouldn't let him in, claiming she was tired. He prowled the corridors, eavesdropping on the nurses. She was getting stronger every day. They wanted to get her home, so she could recover in comfort. Maybe he could take care of her there. Molly liked him, maybe it would help.

At the end of two weeks Evan handed him a note. Rupert left the hospital, tearing it open when he reached the the street outside.

"_Dear Rupert,_

_Thank you so much for coming to my rescue. I hate to think of where I would be now if you hadn't been there looking out for me._

_I am sorry about what happened before, but please don't think I am uncaring about your feelings for me. For reasons unrelated to that I cannot see you now. I don't know when I will be able to face you. Please understand._

_Yours always,_

_Alex."_

Rupert crumpled the letter, throwing it into the street._  
_


	7. Running

_**Yes, another chapter already! Should warn you that there is potentially ooky smut. So don't blame me.**_

_**Would love to know if people are still reading, so if you're not inclined to review a quick note that just says "I'm reading" would be appreciated. Thanks!!**_

_**Thanks to the editor. As always.  
**_

_**Ownership neither intended nor implied.  
**_

--

"Mina I need you to see her. Go talk to her." It had been three weeks. He needed to know what happened. If she would just talk to him.

"Rupert what makes you think she'll see me either?" She shut the book she'd been running her fingers over. "She probably just wants to move on with her life. And stop pacing. It's driving me batty."

He stopped, staring at the back of Mina's head while trying to form an argument that might work. "Forget me then. We need to know what happened to her. Think of how helpful it would be – knowing what happens to someone who's been attacked by a Kronon. It could help us. And she will tell you if you ask." He paused, considering for a moment. "I think she will."

Mina shook her head. "If I call her will you accept whatever she says? Even if she won't see me?"

Rupert shrugged. "I don't know."

–

A few days later Mina's car pulled up in front of Alex Drake's home. Alex had agreed to meet with her, for the sake of information, but was still too exhausted to leave her house.

"Would you like some tea?" Alex offered, once they were sat in her kitchen.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Mina listened to Alex move around the room. "Thank you for meeting with me. I know you don't want to see Rupert any more – he told me what happened, but it will be helpful for us to know what did happen to you. After all, it's not often someone is attacked by a Kronon and understands what's happening to them."

Alex sat across the table. "Well, I'm not exactly certain you could say I understood it." She laughed sadly. "It was very confusing."

"Why don't you start at the beginning then." Mina said softly.

"OK."

"How long were you there? How long was the experience?"

"It was about 16 months, I think. Yes."

"And what happened?"

Alex described waking up confused, not knowing where she was, and the shock of coming face to face with what she thought were characters from Sam Tyler's imagination. She described the differences, and the similarities between their two worlds. She was careful, however, not to go into much detail yet about Gene Hunt. Alex couldn't stop the tears when she described meeting her parents, discovering how they died, her mother's betrayal with Evan. Her father, what he did.

As she confessed all to Mina it became easier to face, to think about. She'd been avoiding the thoughts as much as possible since she woke. Unlike Sam Tyler she didn't want to return. She wanted to stay here, with her daughter and her life. She wanted to have a life. The tears stopped.

"How is it possible, Mina, for me to have experienced the same people that Sam did, but in another time?" She sipped her tea. "Euch. It's gone cold. Would you like some more?" She stood and walked to the kettle.

"Yes, thank you. But I don't know the answer to your question Alex. There are a million theories about time travel and any of them could be partially right or wholly wrong. It's one of the reasons I was so eager to hear about your experience."

"Sam and I were both sent back to significant moments in our lives. I spent a lot of time wondering if that was the purpose – if there was a purpose. To change or to learn something. But if where and when you end up is just chance, how can it be?"

"You know Alex, there are many significant moments in a person's lifetime. You were faced with one of them but it's entirely likely, and probable, that you simply found the significance of the moment you were in. If it had been some other time when you arrived you may have seen the importance in an entirely different way."

Alex thought for a moment. "I suppose that's true."

"There is also a theory amongst those of us that study the phenomena as well as the monsters that cause it that you weren't sent back in time at all. That you were simply phased into an alternate time line."

"I don't understand."

"Well, take String Theory, for example. Simplified, there are hundreds or thousands of existing times – or strings, all occurring at the same time. We are only experiencing one of them. There is nothing to suggest that they are all moving at the same speed. You may simply have been phased into another time. Then phased out again."

"But that wouldn't explain why I went to 1981 and Sam went to 1973. Or why we met the same people along the way?"

Mina shrugged. "No. But it is only a theory. No one knows for certain what happened to you, Alex. Have you tried to identify if any of the people you met in 1981 are alive in this time? Or in this time line?"

Alex shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"What about events? Have you confirmed that anything you discovered was actually the truth?"

"No." The truth was she didn't want to think about any of it. About Evan, about her mother. She hadn't wanted to think about Gene, but after talking with Mina, she needed to tell her. Ask her how this man who had been such an enormous and mysterious part of her life in the past could be the exact double of Rupert Galvin. "There is something else though."

Mina turned her head towards Alex. "What?"

"Gene Hunt. He was Rupert."

Mina looked confused. "I don't understand."

"He was Rupert. If Rupert had been born in Manchester and grown up to be a police officer. He was his identical twin."

Mina's face changed from confused to concerned. "Interesting. Identical?"

"In every way. Yes." She paused. "Well, his hair was longer."

"Is that why you can't see Rupert?" Mina asked quietly.

Alex closed here eyes tightly, nodding before remembering. "Yes."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Alex shook her head. "Does it matter? I'm not there. I'm never going back. I'll never know what happened to him. What happened to us."

Mina frowned slightly. "It doesn't matter to me Alex. And it might not be important in terms of finding out what happened. But it will matter to Rupert."

Alex sniffed. Talking about Gene had brought on more silent tears, and now they wouldn't stop. "I'm sorry. It's just – I don't know what happened. It was so confusing. I grew very close to this man, but I never knew or understood how he felt. Not about me, anyway. But he was so similar to Rupert that it became easy, and I trusted him so completely. And then he hurt me. Very badly. In the end Mina, when I woke up – he had shot me. I'm still not sure what happened, or if that caused me to return here, to my time, my daughter."

"Hmm. I don't think his shooting you will have brought you back to this time. It's very likely it was the simple removal of the bullet that took care of that."

"I really don't know what to think, Mina. But I can't see him. I can't separate them yet."

Mina nodded. "I suppose I can understand that. He'll be very disappointed. He cares for you very much Alex."

"I know." She did know. She even believed it now in a way she couldn't understand before. But she just couldn't. She wasn't ready. "But I can't."

Mina sighed. "OK. Do you mind if I tell Rupert? He's rather desperate, actually. At least to know you're alright. That you'll be alright."

Alex got the impression that Mina sounded a bit annoyed at the prospect of telling Rupert anything. "Yes. You can tell him whatever you think he should know."

Mina stood and Alex took her arm to walk her to the door. "Thank you Alex. This has been helpful. If we can work out anything that might help you can I call you? Or if I have any more questions?"

"Of course." Alex gestured to Mina's driver to come and get her. " And Mina?"

"Yes?"

"Please tell him I'm sorry."

–

"There is no way he's going to convince your mother that this is a good idea, Luke."

Luke and Ruby sat in the stacks, waiting for Galvin to return. He was trying to talk Luke's mother into letting Luke take a year of school abroad. He wouldn't really be in school, of course, Galvin was planning to intensify Luke's training. He felt it was going too slowly.

Ruby was completely opposed to the idea.

"You're all she's got. She won't let anyone take you away." Ruby giggled, shoving Luke's shoulder.

Luke shrugged, non-committal as usual. "It's not like spending a year chasing demons with that miserable sod is my idea of a good time. I'd rather be in school, I think."

"Oh, I kind of feel bad for the guy. Had his heart broken in two. It'd make you a miserable sod to be around too, I think." Ruby did feel bad for Galvin. Mina hadn't approved, but he really seemed to be into that Alex woman. Too bad it hadn't worked out.

"I haven't got a heart Ruby, don't you remember?" Luke teased.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'd forgotten."

They were still going at it when the big door to the stacks rolled open and Galvin skipped down the steps.

"Great news Luke! She said yes. It's all set. But only for six months, so we'll have to settle for that. I've got a school in Italy that will work with us – they're used to this sort of thing, and it's centrally located to we can go off on whatever training sessions I deem necessary with no questions asked. Terrific, eh?" Grinning, he clapped Luke on the shoulder and went straight to the coffee maker.

Luke groaned, but Ruby was stunned.

"What? She said yes?" Her jaw fell open and she looked back and forth between Galvin and Luke – willing one of them to say something. Neither of them did. She looked at Luke. "So you're leaving?"

"If he says so, then I guess I am."

"Without me?" She turned back to Galvin. "When?"

It was already near the end of August. Classes would start up at most schools in September. They wouldn't have much time before he'd have to leave.

Galvin wandered back into the stacks, calling out over his shoulder. "Two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS?!?"

–

Hours later Rupert was in the stacks with Mina, searching for a new bottle of scotch.

"I still don't understand why you are doing this."

"Luke isn't ready" was his muffled reply.

"It hasn't been that long. What does he need to be ready for?"

"Mina," Rupert sat across from her, twisting the top off his bottle and pouring a generous glass. "Luke is under attack, and he's too distracted here in London to take it seriously or effectively learn how to protect himself." He swallowed several gulps of the smooth liquid before finishing. "He needs more intensive training. I won't always be around to help him." He drained his glass and poured another.

"Don't be ridiculous Rupert, where else would you be? Protecting Luke has been your mission since the day he was born. At the expense of everything else, in fact." She didn't say 'including your wife,' but it hung in the air.

"That's the problem." He slammed his drink. "I want my life."

Mina made a clucking noise, raising her eyebrows in a question. "This is your life."

He shook his head uselessly. "Not any longer." Rupert took a deep breath. She had to know eventually. "I've accepted an offer, of sorts. With the British Government. They're still working on the funding but I'll be consulting with the Home Secretary on their new Half-Life Anti-Terrorist Unit. Seems the government has finally taken notice of what we've been fighting out entire lives."

"Half-Life Anti-Terrorist Unit?" Mina screwed up her face in disbelief.

"Yep." He grinned to himself. "I'll be mostly working on tactics and planning and supervising whatever agency we ultimately hire to train recruits."

"And you expect to get funding for this? You're going to tell the general public that the British government is using their money to fight demons?" She laughed sharply. "Good luck."

"Nah. I'm sure it'll be some secret funding. I'm not worried. It's pretty much a done deal."

Mina sat quietly for a while, seemingly considering what he'd just told her. He was wrong.

"She won't see you again, you know."

"You don't know that." He frowned. "And even if it's true. I'm ready to stop running away. I'd like to have the next forty or fifty years of my life. It's not too late."

"There will always be something trying to kill you, you know. It will never be safe."

"There's been something trying to kill you for the past hundred years. You've managed."

"Alone, Rupert. I've managed alone."

Rupert swirled his drink, caught in the reflection of the amber liquid as he lifted it to his lips. "It's worth a try, though. Isn't it?" It had to be.

–

Two weeks later Rupert was jogging up the steps of a club he was much to old to be in. But it was Luke's going away party and he felt he should at least stop by for a few minutes. Pushing through the door he could feel the thumping bass before he could hear the music. A very few minutes.

Once inside though it wasn't as bad as he'd feared, and he managed to spend a not unpleasant hour propped up against the bar, buying drinks for Luke and Ruby and their group of friends. After a while he noticed Luke had tucked himself into a corner with a pretty blonde, and Ruby had disappeared completely. He thought it would be safe to leave.

Rounding the corner toward his car he was surprised to find Ruby sitting alone on the back stairs of the club. She hadn't seen him.

"Why aren't you inside?"

"What?" She looked up at him and he saw why. Her eyes were red and inky mascara was running down her cheeks. Oh crap.

Rolling his eyes slightly he sat down next to her on the step, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"He's just a stupid boy Ruby. We're all the same." He gave her a squeeze that he hoped felt comforting. "Pretty face, flash of eyelash and our brains drop two and a half feet."

"So why not me?" She sniffed, wiping her face on her sleeve as she looked away. "I'm not pretty enough?"

He shook his head. "Of course you are." He turned to look at her upturned face. Even red-rimmed her eyes were huge. He swallowed. "If I were twenty five years younger I'd make sure you never thought about Luke, that's for sure." He tried to laugh, lighten it up. He stared at her mouth instead. s***. Maybe she was too drunk to notice.

She sniffed and turned away, running the handkerchief between her fingers. "Twenty five years?"

He shrugged. "Give or take."

"But not now?" He furrowed his brow and as she went on. "Great. That's really really helpful. I can't even get a desperate old man in his forties. Why would anyone my own age be interested in me?"

"Old?" He took mock offense. Glossing right over 'desperate'. "I'm not old. Just older than you."

She shrugged, looking at him and away again. "Doesn't matter anyway."

"Ruby, you haven't been waiting for Luke your whole life, have you?" She was really lost on that stupid kid.

She didn't look at him. "Not like anyone else has ever been interested, either."

With his free hand he tilted her chin toward him. She looked so vulnerable at that moment. Too vulnerable. "And as long as you are waiting for Luke there never will be anyone else. Because you won't be able to see them." Rupert found himself warm suddenly, his eyes trailing back to Ruby's very full lips. "Take the next six months Ruby. Forget Luke. Meet someone else. It'll be good for you." His eyes moved back up to hers and he realized she was staring at him. Before he knew what was happening he'd leaned forward and met her mouth with his, his hand trailing from her chin to cradle the back of her head. After a few moments her soft whimpers brought him back to reality, and he quickly broke it off.

He swallowed twice before letting her go. "Come on." His voice was hoarse. "Mina's limo is around the corner. Her driver can take you home and be back to pick up Luke later." He stood up, holding his hand out to help her to her feet.

When they reached the car Rupert opened the door. Nodding for Ruby to get in. She stopped when she was standing close enough to touch him.

"You're not coming?" Her eyes were pleading. He felt sick.

"I don't think it's a good idea Ruby." Holding her gaze wasn't the only thing that was hard.

He didn't know where it was coming from. After Mina had explained Alex's reluctance to see him, and why, he'd accepted it, secure in the knowledge that one day she'd see him again. He knew she would have to for everything that happened to her to make sense. And he knew she would want it to make sense. He could wait. After that he'd gone back to his regular diet of random nameless women and the last few weeks had been overall very satisfying in that department. He should not want this girl.

But he did. And she wanted him.

"OK." She looked at her feet. So did he. At her knee high, low heeled brown boots. Her too short skirt. Luke was an ass. She looked back up at him. "If you're sure?"

Fuck.

–

After giving the driver instructions to drive around London for an hour Rupert pushed the button that closed the partition between the front seat and the rest of the limo. Moving to the roomy back seat he pressed his long body against her much smaller one, grinding his full erection against her as he kissed her, his tongue sliding eagerly into her mouth. He needed her to be sure.

Slowly he slid one hand over her bare thigh, fingers moving lightly over her flesh as they worked their way towards her schoolgirl knickers. Rupert stopped when he felt cotton beneath his fingertips, closing his eyes tightly. This was such a bad idea. Ruby spread her legs wider and he pushed the thought from his mind.

Still kissing her he tugged at the elastic, and she hurriedly moved to wriggle out of them, discarding them quickly onto the floor of the limo. She gasped as he teased her clit and her eyes flew open as he slowly slid one finger into her, thrusting gently as her eyes fluttered closed and her head fell back against the seat. Watching her face he carefully added a second finger, thrusting faster as her hips swung naturally against his hand, his thumb flicking gently at the tiny bundle of nerves between her legs until she shuddered against his body.

After letting her lie still for a moment, Rupert lifted her until they were sitting together on the seat.

"You OK?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded, smiling. "But you've still got your trousers on."

"Yeah, well" he cocked his head to the side. "I wasn't sure how far you'd want to go." He looked back at her and she nodded.

Wrapping one arm around her he pulled her onto his lap, straddling him so each of her thighs hung over his.

"Me on top?" She looked at him questioningly. "But I've never..."

He stopped her with a kiss, his hand on her cheek. "It'll be fine." He murmured against her mouth. "Promise." Sliding his hands down across her shoulders he quickly unfastened her top, exploring her lace clad breasts with gentle ease. "Belt" he mumbled. "Undo my belt." Ruby did as was told, then carefully slid down the zip of his bulging trousers. He felt her tremble a little. "We can stop whenever you want." He whispered. "Just tell me."

She shook her head.

As he moved his hands to his waistband and slid his pants down to his knees he opened his eyes, catching sight of Ruby perched above him. He suddenly felt like an old man about to fuck a teenager. "Ruby I..."

But wide her eyes had dropped to his now fully exposed erection. He watched her swallow hard a few times. "This is going to hurt, isn't it."

"Maybe we shouldn't..." He suggested. She shook her head. "Really, it's OK..."

"Condom" was all she said.

He should stop it. He knew he should stop it. It might not be wrong, but it was a bad idea. A really bad idea. "Jacket pocket." His turn to swallow as he watched her reach into his breast pocket and retrieve the necessary item. He watched her tear it open carefully, her hands reaching gingerly for his thick cock. When she stroked his full length he groaned, his head flying back against the leather seat, breath coming in spurts as she slipped on the condom.

With his eyes closed he felt her lean forward, trying to move over him. He moved one hand to her face, kissing her as the other guided her over him, just his tip piercing her entry. She winced, and he groaned as he moved further inside her, just another inch. Christ, thought, this could be the fastest fuck ever. Rupert held his breath, placing both hands on her waist as he readied to push deeper inside her. Her eyes were shut tight, he could tell she was trying not to cry. "Still OK?" he whispered. She nodded silently.

As he steadied her, whispering quietly, the limo hit a heavy bump in the road and they both bounced in the vehicle, Ruby screamed as she lost her balance and slid fully onto him, taking him to the hilt as he pushed into her with a desperate groan.

"Oh my god!" He didn't know how he didn't come in that instant, but he didn't. He looked at Ruby, her eyes watery from the shock. He didn't want to stop now. The best he could hope for was that she wouldn't hate him in the morning.

He watched her for a moment as they settled, then as he moved inside her, his hands guiding her over him, slow thrusts, the ache in his balls so severe he was sure he'd burst any second. Somehow he managed to hold on, listening to her frightened whimpers change to light moans. But he wouldn't last. "Ruby" he gasped eyes blurred at her "have to..." He saw her nod and gripped her hips hard, thrusting quickly just a few more times before he exploded, grunting, his face twisted in agony. He knew she hadn't come, and was suddenly relieved he took care of that already. Maybe he hadn't been a total jackass.

Rupert scooped her into his arms as she fell onto his chest, relieved that she still felt that comfortable. Neither of them said anything as he kissed her forehead, his hands smoothing over her back.

After walking Ruby up to her flat Rupert had the driver take him back to his car, still parked by the nightclub. Giving instructions to have the limo cleaned immediately he strolled to his car and got behind the wheel. He cursed as he started the engine.

"Fucking asshole, Galvin."

–

Mina picked him up at eight am the next morning. Luke and Ruby were already in the back seat, with Luke's bags in the trunk. Rupert deposited his and joined them in the limo, hesitating only slightly as he got in.

"Morning everyone."

"Morning Galvin," Ruby greeted him, smiling without embarrassment.

He quickly went over their plans, their flight to Italy and where they were likely to be over the next few months. He expected them to be back in six months, but that would depend on what they discovered. There were a number of places in both Romania and Turkey that Rupert expected would take a considerable amount of their time.

At the airport they said their goodbyes. Ruby kissed Rupert lightly on the cheek, whispering into his ear, "I'm not sorry."

He smiled at her, relieved. "Goodbye Ruby."


	8. Nightmares

**Many apologies for the long delay.**

--

"_You can't tell me the truth."_

"_I did. I know you can't possibly comprehend it, but I did."_

Alex woke with a start, sheets and bedclothes falling around her as she gasped for air. She couldn't stop dreaming it. And never the good things, always the horror, the fear. The accusations. Kicking her legs over the bed she padded quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen, pouring a glass of water. She looked at the time. 3:18. She needed to sleep.

Taking her untouched glass of water Alex curled up on her comfortable sofa, turning on the television in hope of keeping her mind from drifting back to god knows where. At least there was television on all night. Not for the first time she wondered if Rupert could help her. If he would help her. Tomorrow, she told herself, also not for the first time. She'd call him tomorrow.

–

The blindfold didn't help. Galvin strained against whatever was binding his wrists. No good. His ankles were tied tight as well. He wondered where he was and really hoped Luke had got away. And that he was planning to get him out.

–

"Molly! Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

"Coming mum!"

Alex shook her head. She'd been back to work for a month, but she still couldn't seem to get back into a routine and Molly was always late for school. Alex had even been called down to discuss it with the headmaster. She wasn't even working any cases yet, just reviewing some that had come up while she was on leave. But today she wasn't going to the office. She hadn't been able to get in touch with Rupert and in desperation had called Mina Harker. She just wanted to nightmares to stop.

"Molly!"

–

"_But if I ever hear you repeat that I'm gonna have to stamp on your pretty little head."_

He needed the screaming to stop. He couldn't listen anymore.

"_A quick reminder, Drakey. I am one of the good guys and you are on my side."_

"_This'll never be my side."_

But more than that he needed to wake up. The dreams were worse.

_Alex. What is this?  
_

–

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Ms. Harker."

"Please, Alex, I've told you before. It's Mina." She sent her housekeeper for tea and sat across from Alex on a low sofa. "Now what can I do for you?"

"It seems silly now to have come all the way over here. I could have just asked you on the phone." Alex laughed nervously. "I've been trying to reach Rupert for a few weeks, but I haven't heard back from him. I suppose I've been a bit worried that something might have happened to him." Alex watched as worry flickered across Mina's face, just for a second.

"Oh, of course. Rupert's been out of the country for a few months. He took Luke to Europe for school and some training. I suppose he didn't expect to hear from you or he might have said something." She was nonchalant, but Alex sensed something was wrong.

"No. No, I suppose he didn't." Alex couldn't stifle a disappointed sigh. The nightmares were getting worse. And they were more than nightmares. Every night it felt like she was there, again, living the same moments over and over only to wake up in agony, not knowing where she was. If she was still home.

"Is there something else?" Mina asked as the tea arrived. "Maybe something I can help you with?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

–

When Rupert finally regained consciousness he was surprised to see sunlight seeping through cracks in the boarded up windows. He managed to look around the room. It looked like more than a shack, but not much more. The walls were wood planks, probably stone on the outside. There was a wooden door in the far corner of the room that probably led to another room. But where was he?

Pain crackled through his skull as he tried to lift his head. Could he even remember what happened? He and Luke were chasing a pack of vampires, not very bright ones but there were a lot of them. In retrospect it might not have been the best idea. Where were they? Albania? Montenegro? He's lost track at some point, then they'd been separated. He remembered being grabbed by the pack, shouting all the time for Luke to get away as far as possible. Then he lost consciousness, although he didn't remember how.

Slowly he became aware that the pain in his head reached into his entire body. Time to take stock, Galvin , if you're still alive you can get out of here. His shoes were missing, but he was still wearing jeans. His shirt was torn open, the sleeves in ribbons hanging off his shoulders. For the first time he noticed that both of his wrists were heavily bandaged.

He was still contemplating the unpleasant possibilities when the door in the corner creaked open and a very tiny, very old woman came through. She was carrying a basket and a bucket and looked surprised to see him awake. Her brow furrowed as she took the few steps necessary to reach him.

"Hmm."

Rupert tried to open his mouth, to ask her who she was, what had happened. His mouth was so dry he couldn't whisper.

"Shh. Wait." He watched her reach down, fumbling in her bucket for a small jug. "Water." She held it up to his lips and he drank. "Not too much, you will just retch it up." She took the jug away.

"Where am I?" he managed to croak.

The old woman began unwrapping the bandages on his wrists, avoiding looking at him. "Mountains."

"Albania?"

She shrugged. "Close enough."

"Close enough. Great. That's helpful." His throat burned when he tried to talk. She'd finished with one and he got a good look at his wrist. He suspected what he'd see, but it was still a shock. Bite marks. Vampire bite marks. And more than one set. Shit. "How long have I been here?"

"Three or four days, I think." She was native to the area, he could tell, but her English had almost no accent. He wondered how old she really was. "They did not tell me you were here right away."

"They?" He knew the answer.

"The pack. They will be back tonight." She looked up at the light, streaming weaker thought the window. "A few of them anyway. They know better than to feed too much."

"Feed too much? What does that mean?"

"They want to keep you alive! The longer you live the better for them. That is why I am here." She must have read the confusion on his face. "There are not many people in the mountains. It is better to make one last a long time. I come in after they have finished and tend your wounds. I would expect tonight they will not be very interested in your wrists."

"Guess they like a hearty meal, eh?" This was not good. If they weren't feeding on his wrists it would be his throat. Or his femoral artery. Shit. At most he had another two nights, maybe three. That was if they didn't bleed him dry tonight. "So, uh, no chance you want to untie me, is there?"

She was kneeling next to him and looked up, her smile tired and aware. "You know I cannot."

"What's the deal? You keep me alive and they leave you alone?"

She looked away again. "Something like that."

"Nice work." He watched as she cleaned him up, at least as much as she could manage. She handed him a second jug, half full of amber liquid.

"Drink this."

"Hope it's scotch." He drank. It tasted like treebark. "What was that?"

"It will dull the pain a little. It is all I can do for you."

He nodded. It was better than nothing. "Can you tell me anything? I'll get out of this on my own power, but anything you can tell me..."

She shook her head. "You will survive, or you will not. There is nothing I can do either way, Rupert Galvin." She stood, gathering her things into the basket and bucket.

"Wait. How do you know my name?"

"The son of Charles Galvin?" Her mouth twitched a little. "You are known."

"The son of – _what? _ How could you know my father?_"_

"I suppose you were young." She looked at the window. "It is getting late. They will return here soon." Her expression was resigned when she looked back at him, nodding. "If you survive the night, I will tell you." She stopped and turned when she reached the door. "She will be happy you are awake. Be careful."

"Be careful," he muttered. "I'm tied to a fucking chair."

–

Alex poured a second glass of wine and curled up on her sofa. Molly had finally gone to bed and she needed to think. Mina had tried to be helpful, but she didn't know where Rupert was, or when he would be back. And even though Mina insisted there was no way Alex would return to her alternate reality while she was asleep, she hadn't been able to help her with the nightmares. And she wouldn't go so far as to tell her that it would never happen. That some day she might not find herself back there. They just didn't know enough about what actually happened when someone time traveled, if that was even what had happened.

But none of that really mattered. What she wanted was Rupert. She wanted him to tell her she wouldn't go mad, she wanted him to protect her, to keep it from ever happening again. She needed him. Just to be with him.

–

Galvin sat in the dark and waited, just the noise of the mountains to keep him company. Inside it was pitch black, outside there would at least have been the moonlight to give him some bearings. It was disorienting. He took several deep breaths. He was terrified.

He didn't know how long it had been, but when they finally came into the room he felt them before he heard anything. Cold flesh against his skin.

"Least you could do is say something." He grumbled.

"You're awake! How nice." Her voice was low.

He couldn't tell how many there were. There were hands on his legs, on his arms. He gasped as teeth sunk into his upper arm. "Shit." His body clenched involuntarily, but it could have hurt worse. Thank god for tree bark.

Galvin sat helpless as one of the vampires moved over him, settling on her knees in front of him.

She giggled. "I like it when you're awake." She drew a razor sharp fingernail across the corner of his mouth and he felt blood spill over his chin.

"Fuck." He swallowed.

"This is more fun." She sunk a sharp tooth into his lip, swallowing the blood as it flowed out. His brain felt fuzzy, he was losing consciousness...

"_You and me, Bolls, we're a team. Fighting the rot together."_

He gasped as she released him, his fists clenching. She laughed and bit him again and he felt the pressure on his heart as it beat faster, as she sucked harder, drained him...

"_How would you like to grow up knowing your daddy tried to blow you to kingdom come?"_

Oh god. The visions wouldn't stop. They were coming one after the other after the other...

"_You know all that stuff you were saying earlier? About letting you in?"_

"Please," he heard himself beg. "Please no more. I can't see any more."

"_It's all about timing, this life."_

She stopped and he felt her lick the blood off his chin. "Beg me to stop" Her voice was husky. "I love that. I might even let you live." She stopped at his throat and he could feel her teeth aim for his jugular, poised to puncture him. "Tonight, anyway." He couldn't stop himself.

"No, please." He swallowed as one tooth broke skin. "I'll beg. Anywhere else." Her nail sliced down his chest, blood trickling slowly at first, her teeth pulling aside his flesh, her tongue lapping up the droplets.

"_I'm doing this without you. And you dare to get in my way, I swear to God I will kill you."_

His head swam. Any moment and he'd lose consciousness. He never wanted to wake up.

"What's happening! Make them stop. _God_. Please. _Make them stop!_"

She sliced open his jeans, tearing the fabric away from his thigh. "Since you asked so nicely." Her mouth moved lower, her teeth sinking into the large vein in his leg. When the visions stopped he almost thanked her. But the screaming took over.

–

"Galvin. Are you alive?" The old woman's voice sounded like it was miles away, but he managed a grunt. "Good. I can feel you breathing. Strong. You should live another day."

"Hooray. If tonight is anything like last night I hope they kill me."

She gave him a questioning look. "How much do you remember? No one usually remembers."

"Enough." Rupert watched her empty her bucket and basket. "Do you have a name?"

She held the water jug to his mouth, scowling at the loose skin that had barely begun to heal over on his lip. "What did they do to you?" she mumbled under her breath. He just shook his head and drank. "Well, I will do the best I can."

Again he watched as she worked. This time she took handfuls of what looked like yellow mud out of her bucket, covering each of the fresh bites from the night before with a generous amount, then covering it with a bandage.

"What is that?"

"Something to help." She indicated his wrists, which looked remarkably well healed under the circumstances. "I used this on them. If you survive you will not be too badly scarred."

"Thanks." He closed his eyes as the cool mud brought some relief to the prior evenings wounds. "Name?"

She took a short breath. "Marta."

"Marta." He nodded. "Thank you."

"It is why I am here."

"Of course."

He let her finish in silence, content to know he might have some chance of surviving another night. He had hesitated in asking her about Luke before because he wasn't sure he could trust her and didn't want to set anyone after him if he had managed to escape. But after what had happened he had to know.

"Is there anyone else here? Maybe not in the house, but nearby?"

Marta looked up at him, shaking her head. "Not that I am aware of. I have only you to care for."

"It's just that...last night. I heard someone screaming."

"You are the only one here, Rupert Galvin. If you heard screams, they must have been your own."

He winced. "It's very possible." At least they didn't have Luke. "But not very manly."

She laughed then. A real laugh. "You are alive. You are man enough, I think."

"Maybe." He tried to smile, but his mouth hurt. "Yesterday. You said you knew my father. I don't understand how that could be. He died twenty-five years ago."

"Your father was also a hunter of the half-lives, Galvin. And he is known. As are you. Well," she indicated her surroundings, "not by these vermin. They are too young and stupid to know much of anything."

"My fath-?" He shook his head. "My father was a construction contractor."

Marta looked at him as if he were a child. "Of course he was not. Do you think you came to this life by accident? This is just as much your destiny as that Van Helsing brat you seem so eager to protect."

"You know about Luke?"

"The mountains are full of demons. You do not have to be one of them to know what is going on in their world."

"And you still won't let me go?"

"That is not my choice." Marta had finished dressing his wounds and was packing up her things. "I will be back at dusk to remove the bandages. Be careful tonight. She will want your neck."

"Thanks for the warning." He scowled.

"Wait. I have another question."

She turned and looked at him. "The visions?"

It was unsettling how much she knew. He nodded.

"They are caused by the medicines. When the animals drink your blood it amplifies the effects. But they will pass, eventually."

"What are they?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

She shrugged. "Memories, the future. Some other time. Who knows?"

He had to know. "Whose are they?"

"Whose what? Memories?" He nodded. "They are yours."

"No, no. They can't be mine." It wasn't possible.

"They are. One cannot have another person's memories." She turned again to leave. "But I would not worry too much, Rupert Galvin. I think it is not your time to die."

–

There was nothing to do but wait, and wonder what the hell the old woman was talking about. His father? How could he not have known? He remembered some travel when he was very young, but by the time he started school they had settled in Indiana. His father still traveled on business, but not too often. Did he ever do anything that seemed odd? Not that Rupert could remember.

But he hadn't been fond of Jay, Luke's father. Rupert had gone to Notre Dame on a religious studies scholarship, and he'd brought Jay home for the first school break. When Jay had invited him to England for the following summer his father had opposed it completely. So he got married instead. But when Charles Galvin died the following November, Rupert was free to follow Jay anywhere. And he did. And it cost him Maggie. In the end it cost him Jay as well. He would have to ask Mina if she knew about this...hell, she had to know. And she kept it from him all these years. Bitch.

Rupert was still trying to make sense of what he'd been told when he heard a crash in the other room. He looked up. It was still daylight, it couldn't be the vamps. He held his breath as the door to his prison opened.

"Have you had enough fun? Are you ready to go home yet?"

"Luke!"

Luke took two steps and knelt to untie him. "Keep your voice down. They won't hear, but there are human guards not far." He sliced through the knots binding Rupert to the chair. "But I think they've passed out drunk."

"How did you find me?" He couldn't believe it. Maybe he wasn't such a stupid kid after all.

"You're definitely getting too old if you let these stupid creatures nab you. They're not exactly stealthy. They made a huge mess and left a wide trail. I just needed to get some supplies before I came up here." He indicated the bandages. "What happened."

Rupert threw an arm over Luke's shoulder. "They had me for dinner."

"Sounds like fun."

"It wasn't. How're we getting out of here?"

"I have a jeep down at the bottom of the mountain. But we'll have to walk down. Can you make it?"

"Got no choice, do I?"

"Nope. We're a days drive from a hospital." Rupert started to object. "Not taking no for an answer. Let's go."

--


	9. Beginnings

_**Everything property of someone else, sadly.**_

--

It had taken about a week to arrange, but they were finally back in London, and Rupert was trying to line up a taxi while Luke went after the luggage.

Luke had been right about the hospital, although calling it a hospital was probably generous. Some beds, some medical supplies – and a surprising amount of experience dealing with vampire bites. He'd been almost back to normal after a few days, and only walked with a slight limp, that the doctors (if they were doctors) assured him would go away in a week or two.

Trouble was, now that he was back in London he didn't know what to do, where to start. He needed to talk to Mina – but he didn't want to. He had kept so many secrets from so many people for so long, but never from Mina. She knew everything he knew. He couldn't accept that she would have kept secrets about his parents from him.

And Alex. He had no idea if she would ever see him again, but she had been in those nightmares. Or visions. Or whatever they were. And so had he. And they were real. He needed to see her. And he wanted to. Would she see him?

"Where to Galvin?" Luke asked after they had secured the luggage in the taxi.

Rupert took a deep breath. "Did you call your mother?"

"Yes. She knows I'm on the way home."

"Did she ask why you were coming home early?"

"Yes. I told her we'd arranged it with the Italian school so I could be home to start the next term here. And that my coursework would transfer and there were no problems."

"And?"

"And? She can't wait to see me. Is delighted that I'll be home for Christmas. Hopes I took photos in Italy."

"Did you?"

Luke shook his head and grinned. "Nah. Too busy saving your arse."

Once Luke had been deposited at home, Rupert gave the driver another address. One he hadn't been to in a long time. But he supposed, under the circumstances, it was time.

–

"Hello Mom," he whispered as he turned on the light in the foyer.

She wasn't there of course. She'd died over five years earlier, and he hadn't been to the house since. There had been someone taking care of it, and he hadn't been able to bring himself to sell it. It had simply been avoidance, really, but if he was going to stay in London for a while he'd might as well have someplace nice to live.

Rupert puttered around the house for a while, re-familiarizing himself with the rooms and the furniture. He'd never lived here – his mother had bought the place after his father died and he was living in the states with Maggie, but he had spent plenty of time here with her. It was still her house.

After finally deciding to settle into a guest room on the second floor, Rupert pulled out his cellphone and dialed.

"Hello Mina."

"Rupert! My god! Where are you?"

"At my mother's."

"You're in London? Wait – why are you..."

"I needed someplace to stay. And she's not using it anymore." He was silent. He'd rather do it face to face. "Mina I need to speak to you. About a few things."

"Of course. I can send the car right over."

"No, no. We just got back and I need some sleep." Some real sleep. "I'm exhausted."

"Of course. I'll meet you at The Stacks in the morning."

"Sounds great."

"And Rupert."

"Hmm?"

"Alex Drake has been calling – looking for you. And she came to see me about two weeks ago."

"Alex...?"

"Yes. She seemed worried." Rupert heard her hesitate. "She wants to see you."

"OK. Thanks." He tried not too get too excited, but he couldn't help it. She might not know it, but he had a lot of making up to do to her. And things to tell her. He wanted to get it right.

–

"Excuse me, Inspector?"

Alex hung up the phone. "Yes, Natalie?"

"This just came for you." She handed Alex a small box. "It looks like it's from the posh cupcake shop down the road."

"What?" Alex took the box from her assistant. "Cupcakes?" Suddenly all the oxygen left the room and she sat gingerly in her chair.

"There's a card – look." Natalie pointed to a small envelope taped to the top of the box. "Well? Aren't you going to open it? See who it's from?"

Of course it was Rupert. It had been weeks since she'd seen Mina but maybe she'd got in touch with him. Or he'd come back to London. Her finger traced the envelope and she swallowed air.

"Inspector Drake? Are you alright?"

"Yes. Yes. Thank you." She slid the card out of the envelope. "I'm fine Natalie. Thank you."

_Alex, I heard you were looking for me. I'm back in London. Rupert_

He'd written his phone number at the bottom, but she didn't need it.

–

"Fuck."

Rupert slammed his car door and gunned the engine, still trying to process the things Mina had told him. And she hadn't wanted to tell him, he'd practically had to threaten her to get her to talk and he still wasn't sure she'd been completely honest.

It turned out his father had fallen out with the elder Van Helsing years before he was born, but had continued his pursuit of the half-lives on his own, using his own resources and his own considerable fortune. He'd never wanted Rupert to know, though, and had insisted on complete secrecy from Mina. He hadn't wanted Rupert to follow in his footsteps and when he met Jay at school his father had been very upset.

But there was more that he'd never been told. And now he had to find out how all of these secrets were going to affect his life. And Alex's.

His phone rang as he was shifting into gear.

"Galvin."

"Rupert?"

He shifted back into park. "Alex? Hi. How are you?"

She managed a nervous laugh. "I honestly have no idea. I can't believe...it's good to hear your voice."

"Yeah, yes. Yours too." Say something else. "Did you, um, get the cupcakes?" _Idiot_, of course she did.

"Yes, thank you." She laughed again. "I, um," _oh Christ Alex_ "God I feel so stupid now. It's just that - "

"I'd like to see you." He held his breath. _I miss you._

"Me too. See you, I mean."

"Can I buy you dinner?"

She didn't want to see him in a restaurant. "Actually, Rupert, I want to talk to you about what happened to me, some of the things, well, they're still hard for me to talk about without, um, breaking down a little. Would you mind if we met at your hotel?"

"Well, that'll be difficult. I'm not staying there anymore. How about you come to my house."

"House?"

He gave her the address. "Dinner tomorrow? I'll cook." Now he only had to figure out what to tell her.

–

Alex was more than a little nervous as she approached the address Rupert had given her. Her palms were sweating. She had broken things off with him without much of an explanation and he had been pretty upset about it. And then she wouldn't see him even after he had saved her life. But she couldn't see him then. She knew better now.

She'd been surprised when he gave her an address in Marylebone, but more so when she reached the house.

"Fighting demons must be a lucrative career," she murmured to herself as she rang the bell. She bit her lip.

"Hi Alex. Come in." Rupert was wiping his hands on a dishtowel as he opened the door and tossed it over his shoulder when she came in. Her hair had gotten longer and she was wearing her work clothes. Christ she looked beautiful. "Sorry, still cooking."

"Thanks. Um, yes. It smells great." She looked at him, standing in the entryway. "Thank you for seeing me." She stumbled over her mouth as she followed him toward the kitchen. "I mean, I'm sorry about before. I was just confused. And then later wh-"

"Alex," Rupert interrupted.

"Yes? What?

His eyes twinkled at her. "You look great."

"So do you." She really looked at him now. He'd lost weight, and there was a scar across one corner of his mouth that wasn't there before. She had to fight to keep from reaching out and touching it.

"Nah." He looked away. "I got old since the last time I saw you." He poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her, taking his own from the counter. "Older. I was already old."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile and she had to turn away or she'd kiss him. She leaned against the counter. "I am sorry about that. I didn't do that very we -"

"A lot of thing have happened since then, Alex. To both of us. How about we start over?"

She wanted to throw her arms around him, wanted him too hold her, tell her everything would be alright. "Start over. I can do that."

He grinned. "Good. Dinner's ready."

–

"So are you renting here?" Alex asked over chicken marsala, potatoes and asparagus. He turned out to be an excellent cook. "It's awfully big."

"No, actually, it's mine. My mother retired here after my father died. I was still in the U.S. but after Maggie died I spent most of my time with Jay, and mom always liked London best so she decided to live here. It's been empty since she died, but it looks like I'll be staying around for a while, so I thought I would open it up and live in it. See what happens." He stopped to drink some wine. "Will probably need to refurnish it, though."

"That'll be a big job." They were quiet for a while, neither knowing what to say next. "So, uh, what's keeping you in London?" Alex was unreasonably excited at the thought, even thought she felt she had no right to be.

He chuckled and watched her chew for a moment. "I took a job. With your government."

"You what?" Alex laughed. "Doing what?"

"Well it seems as though the half-life activity in England has picked up to the point that it's been noticed by folks in a more official capacity. And as I am the nearest expert on eradication I've been hired as a domestic terrorism consultant." He smiled. "I start in January, and I'm supposed to supervise training and tactics for the newly formed demon-fighting squad. I think they still need to work out which department I'll be reporting to, though." He rolled his eyes. "Probably all of them."

"Won't that keep you away from Luke? Away from directly fighting the problem?"

He shook his head. "Luke doesn't need me anymore. Not much anyway. And I'm getting too old to fight anyway. Too slow."

"No." She looked up at him, her eyes soft. "You saved my life, Rupert. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me."

He looked away, more nervous than he should be. Or than he wanted to be. "Yeah, well. It was Luke who shot the thing. All I did was run around a lot and shout."

Alex laughed. "I doubt that."

She reached to stroke his face, and he hoped she couldn't hear his heart thumping in his chest. Her fingers stroked his cheek, traced the scar on his lips. He might have stopped breathing.

"What happened?"

His hand covered hers, his fingers curling into hers as he tried to answer. "Had a run in with a few vampires in the mountains." He broke her gaze. "I didn't come out so well. I might still be the main course if Luke hadn't been there."

Alex took a sharp breath. "Please don't get yourself killed Rupert. I don't want to lose you again."

He wanted to kiss her, he needed to. It was probably too soon. "No dying. I promise." He let go of her hand. "I should clear this up." He stood up, picking up his and Alex's plate.

Alex rose, following him into the kitchen with the leftover food. "Please, let me help you." In the kitchen Rupert took the plates from her, setting them on the counter. "Dinner was lovely Rupert, you are a very good –"

Turning around he pulled her face to his, kissing her softly on the mouth. She tasted salty, and like wine. He wanted to linger. He didn't. "You're welcome."

–

"So why did you want to see me?" Rupert poured them both more wine as they sat close together on the sofa.

"Nightmares. Since I woke up from my coma, I've been having nightmares."

"About what?"

"About what happened...when I went back. I told Mina about it. Did she tell you...anything?"

Rupert shook his head. "Not much. Though I've recently discovered there are a great many things she hasn't told me." He rolled his eyes. "She said that you had experienced time travel backwards, or possibly a dimensional shift putting you into a parallel reality. I imagine it was very traumatic, but they could just be nightmares, Alex."

Again Alex told the story. What happened to her and what she learned, both about her parents and herself. The terror and the loneliness. How desperate she was to get back to Molly. As much as she could she avoided talking about Gene, but when she finally did she closed her eyes to keep away the tears, but they came anyway. The feelings were still so strong.

"And I trusted him. Because he was you."

Rupert froze. "What do you mean, he was me?"

"He was you, Rupert. He didn't just look like you a little bit. He was you exactly. And it took me some time to realize it, but that was why I trusted him so completely. Because he made me feel safe. He made me feel safe because you make me feel safe." She looked at him, his blue eyes dark and shining. "And I need you."

He didn't know what he expected to hear, but this wasn't it. He had been in her alternate reality. It couldn't be and it was. And he'd seen it all. Been in it.

"Alex, something happened to me, in Albania. Luke and I weren't just chased by a pack of vampires...was caught. And I saw what happened to you."

He took a deep breath, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He couldn't look at her now, he didn't want her to see. He told her about the vampires had fed off him, and made him see things. How real these things were, like he was living them, or had lived them. That she was in these visions. That they terrified him then, and terrified him more now that she had told him about her experience, about the old Albanian witch – she had to be a witch, what she'd done for him – to keep him alive. He didn't tell her about his father. He didn't know what that meant yet – if it was important.

Alex was confused. "I don't understand. Rupert, what do you think this means?"

"I don't know. It was so real." He reached out to touch her, expecting her to recoil. "But I'm not him."

She didn't recoil. Instead she slid one hand into his, resting the other on Rupert's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Alex," he said quietly. "I didn't know." When she still said nothing he was certain that was it. She would leave, and it would be over. For both of them.

"Please look at me." She pulled his shoulder and he sat up slightly. "I know you're not him, Rupert."

He turned his head, she was so close.

"I know you're not him, Rupert." Her fingers trailed his jaw, guiding him to her. "I know."

Closing the gap, he kissed her, tentatively at first, waiting for her reaction. Her hand curved around the back of his head, pulling him tighter as her lips parted and his tongue slid between them and together they fell back against the sofa.

"Alex," he pulled away slightly as she kissed the scarred corner of his mouth, "I promise you this isn't what I thought would happen tonight. Kissing you, I mean" He slid his arm around her back, kissed her again. "Though I might have hoped a little."

"Me neither." Alex twisted her body, sliding one leg between his knees. "I wasn't sure you'd even see me again, after how I ended things last time." Her fingertips traced his collarbone, to his throat, down the open neck of his shirt.

"It wasn't your fault," he played with the buttons on her blouse, but didn't undo them. "I was an asshole, I know. I rushed you."

Alex shook her head, nuzzling closer as Rupert abandoned her blouse, ran his fingers through her hair. "I wasn't ready. It wasn't your fault" She kissed him, lingering, not letting him go. "But I was wrong, Rupert. I realized that when I couldn't find you. I told you, you make me feel safe."

He chuckled gently. "You know Alex, twenty years ago if a woman had told me that I'd have been horrified." He kissed her neck, fingers moving back to pop the top button on her shirt.

"What about now?" Alex tilted her head, inviting as he undid the second button, his fingers tracing the curve of her breast.

"Now?" He kissed her collarbone, her newly exposed flesh. "Now I want to tear your clothes off." He slid another button through it's hole, teasing her shirt open.

"So what's stopping you?"

He tugged back the lace of her bra, running his thumb over her pebbled nipple. "Nothing."

Pushing her back against the sofa he covered her breast with his mouth, tongue swirling the tight peak before taking it between his teeth. Alex gasped, pulling at his shirt as he moved over her.

Rupert kissed her neck, her ear. "Alex are you sure?" he murmured. "I thought you might want to take it slower this time. Maybe go on a date?"

I'm sure." She kissed him, sliding her tongue across his before breaking away again. "What about you? You've been through a lot lately. Are you sure you're up to it?" She giggled when he frowned in response.

"Alex, I spent the better part of last night anticipating seeing you again." He kissed her neck, nibbled her earlobe. "Trust me, everything works."

"Taking the equipment on a test run?"

He nodded. "Just in case."

He captured her mouth again and after that there was no stopping them. Buttons, hooks and zippers were conquered in seconds. Alex pushed the shirt off his shoulders and for the first time saw the scar that now ran from over his left nipple down across his stomach. She stopped for a moment, tracing it slowly with one finger.

"How could this have happened to you," she whispered as he placed kisses across her face.

"Told you, I got old. Too slow." He looked away.

She held his face, kissed him. "Don't let it happen again."

"Don't plan to." He struggled out of his jeans, turning his attention to Alex's trousers and tugging them down to her ankles and off, pulling her knickers along the way.

A naked tangle of arms and legs, mouths and hands everywhere, they moved together, both desperate and terrified to take the final step. Alex could feel him hard against her leg and ached to have him inside her. Reaching between their bodies she gripped his shaft, stroking slowly at first as he groaned and bit her lips, her neck. Her thumb grazed the sensitive head of his cock, droplets forming as she worked him harder. "_Rupert, please." _Hooking one leg over the back of the sofa she wrapped the other around his waist, guiding him inside her as she did. They gasped and stilled, finding each other's eyes until Alex arched her back, moved her hips against his. He moved slowly at first, grunting with each thrust, urged on by her hands, her mouth. "_Love you, Rupert"_ she whispered and he thrust harder, his full length deep inside her over and over, murmuring her name. Again and again she said it, and he wanted her more, "_love you, love you...."_ He couldn't stop, wanted to come, god he loved her too, how could he ever, he could never.... "_Alex" _he groaned "_oh god."_ Finally she shook beneath him, holding him deep as she came. A few more short hard strokes and he followed, all the pain and fear disappearing in a flash as he exploded inside her.

–

Half asleep, Alex burrowed against the warmth of his body.

"You cold?" he mumbled.

"Mmm."

"We could go upstairs?" He kissed her shoulder. "It's warmer up there."

"No." Her voice was sleepy, content. "I'll fall asleep."

"Eventually." His fingers traced circles on her hip, across her stomach. "Maybe."

"Oh, Rupert. I'm sorry, but -"

He sighed. "You have to go home."

She nodded against his chest. "I hadn't planned to be out all night."

"No, it's OK. I understand." Rupert shifted so she rolled onto her back, so he could see her face. "You don't have to leave yet, do you?"

"Not yet, no." She kissed him, and he broke away with a nervous look. "What is it?"

"So, uh, you think we can try it again? Me and you?"

Alex smiled. "Yes. But there is one thing."

"OK, what? Anything."

"Molly will need to approve. Although I think you're a shoo-in there. She was quite angry with me when I wouldn't see you after the accident."

"She's a smart girl."

"Yes. Too smart. Do you think you can make it for breakfast on Saturday? It's a bit cold, but maybe we can find something to do in the afternoon?"

"I'd love to come for breakfast." He kissed her deeper, pulling her body close to his again. "But tonight we can make up for lost time."

–

"_I think it's your turn now."_

_The man with the greasy hair pointed the gun at his head. He could see his finger squeezing the trigger..._

Rupert woke with a start, looking around. The bedroom in his mother's house. His house. The bed was empty – Alex had gone home hours earlier.

Kicking his feet over the edge he stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on his face. This dream was different. This one hadn't happened yet, wasn't a memory, he knew. It was the future.


	10. Confusion

_**Thanks to grainweevil for the superfantastic transcripts. They really do make it easier.**_

--

The dreams kept coming.

"_So, skimpy enough?"_

"_It's a start"_

–

"_I am going to stamp your arse, you do know that"_

"_You most certainly are not"_

–

"_No, I don't know. Tell me"_

–

He didn't want to tell Alex. Things had been going well, even though after two weeks they still hadn't managed to spend a night alone together. Molly liked him, and Evan tolerated him, and he didn't want to upset the balance. On top of it, Alex's nightmares had all but disappeared, as he'd suspected they would. He'd suspected her nightmares were just nightmares, not some mystical connection to another existence. Eventually they would fade away completely. But his hadn't. Not yet anyway.

Whatever the vampires had done to him hadn't faded. It worried him enough that he had sent Mina in search of a supposed expert on the Kronon – he didn't think he could disappear into another place in his dreams, but he didn't want to find out the hard way. Luckily they'd found one living in Manchester. Apparently he'd known his father and was happy to help. Rupert wanted to talk to him face to face. But until Mina returned, time-travel expert in tow, his only concern was spending some time alone with Alex.

--

"So what are you doing tonight?"

"Well hello, Rupert, how are you?" Alex tucked the receiver under her ear and sat back in her chair.

"I'm great. I want to see you tonight."

"What a fantastically romantic proposal." She laughed into the phone. "But I have to work late tonight and then I have to take Molly to her orchestra rehearsal. I'm sorry."

"I took care of that, Evan's going to do it. And pick her up. And spend the night."

"Well in that case I seem to be free later. What did you have in mind?"

He chuckled. "It's a surprise. I'll pick you up at the station at seven."

"Pick me up here? Do I need to change?"

"Yes. White tie. See you at seven."

"But Rupert – wait I -" He had already hung up.

"Inspector Drake? This just arrived for you."

Phone still in her hand, Alex looked up to see Natalie carrying in a large box.

"I wonder what it is?"

"So do I. It's huge!"

Her curiosity piqued, Alex hung up the phone and came around her desk, stopping at the small coffee table in her office where her assistant had set the box. Inside was a gunmetal grey, strapless gown in layers of chiffon and raw silk, with matching shoes and shoulder wrap. "What the...?"

She moved to the phone and punched in Rupert's number.

"Just wear it," he barked.

"Rupert? What is this?"

"I'd have thought you knew what 'surprise' meant. Just put it on. I'll pick you up later."

Alex looked at her watch. 5:00. She still had two sessions before she could get dressed.

"If you weren't so charming," she mock scolded him.

"You can spank me later."

"Oh, I intend to."

"Then it'll be a perfect evening." He hung up again.

–

Two hours later, with Natalie's help, Alex had managed to squeeze into the dress and was attempting to do something with her hair.

"Do you want me to put it up?" Natalie asked.

"Can you?" Alex asked, slightly desperate by this point. "Do you know how to do that?"

"Of course!" Natalie ran out and was back in a moment with hairclips and a chopstick. In no time she had turned Alex's neglected mess of hair into a small sculpture.

Alex looked in her pocket mirror. "I'm impressed."

"You look great Inspector. Do you know where you're going?"

Alex shook her head. "I have no idea." She glanced at the clock on her desk, "but I may already be late. Thank you so much for your help Natalie. See you on Monday."

Exiting the building Alex smiled as she spotted Rupert standing near the car, smoking a cigarette and walked towards him. Her jaw dropped a little. He was wearing full white tie formal dress. And he'd cut his hair.

"Very nice," she said as he approached.

He slipped his hand around her waist as he bent to kiss her cheek. "Alex," he growled, "I have spent the entire day wanting to see you in that dress and now all I want to do is peel it off you." He opened the door to the backseat and helped her in, sliding onto the seat next to her.

"Maybe if you're a very good boy,"she teased.

"Where's the fun in that?" He shut the door and the driver pulled into traffic.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

He looked at her, obviously considering. "British Museum."

Now she was intrigued. "What's at the museum?"

He leaned over to kiss her. "Party."

–

The 'party' turned out to be a charity cocktail party and silent auction. Alex took the offered program as they walked through the museum entrance.

"What are we doing here?" She glanced at the small pamphlet. Inside were listings for the auction items along with a small description of the charity's services and high volume donors. Her eye caught one listing in particular. "Rupert?" She held out the paper. "The Charles and Harriet Galvin Foundation?"

He winced. "Yeah. My parents. This was mom's favorite charity and when she died she left an annual benefit. I'm supposed to come every year to this thing but I never do." He shrugged. "But I thought it might be fun to hang out in the museum after hours." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Sneak around." He raised his eyebrows with a suggestive leer.

Alex hooked her arm into his. "Your parents. Why would your mother leave so much money to a British charity? Did she live here? How did she manage that? Was she British?"

"Well, with enough money you can pretty much do anything you want," he said with a shrug. "But no, not British. Born in Indiana. I think...I grew up there, anyway. She moved here after my father died." Rupert lifted two glasses of champagne off a passing tray and handed one to Alex.

"What did you do?"

"Me? I was married by then. He died six months after the wedding."

And then your wife died, Alex thought. She didn't say it. Alex sipped her drink as they walked through the galleries. She really knew so little about him.

"You've never talked about your parents."

Rupert cleared his throat. "No."

"Tell me about them."

"Tell you about them?" He made a slightly puzzled expression as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "Huh."

"You know all about mine." Alex smiled at him. "Your turn to spill."

Where should he start? The parents he thought he knew a month ago? Or the parents he suddenly didn't know at all? He wasn't even sure why it mattered, in the end he'd even wound up in the family business. He couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if he had known. If his life might have taken a different path. He supposed that didn't matter much at this point, either.

"OK. My parents. My father was a construction contractor for an international firm. We traveled a lot when I was small, Europe, India, Cairo. I don't remember too much but I do remember Cairo. I think we were there for a long time – maybe even six months, right before I was to start school. We even spent some time here in the UK. My mother loved it here – it's why she chose here after Dad died."

Alex loved when he talked about himself, it happened so rarely. "And your mother?"

"Lovely woman. When I was old enough to start school we moved back to Indiana permanently. Dad still traveled on business, but he made shorter trips, though more of them. I had a remarkably uneventful childhood and they were both very proud when I got into Notre Dame on a Religious Studies scholarship."

"I'm sure they were."

They had stopped near a statue of a giant horse head, and Alex turned to face him.

Rupert took the hint, leaning down to kiss her. Alex slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He leaned in, pinning her to the base of the statue, kissing her ear.

"Maybe we should find something with a little more cover?"

Alex pushed him lightly on the chest. "Not that I would shag you in the museum, but I'm afraid I couldn't hitch this dress up high enough if I tried."

Rupert frowned and slid his hand down her thigh. "Hmm. Maybe I should think about that for next time."

"Oh? Next time you dress me up and kidnap me?" But she was smiling. He smiled back. "You're family sounds lovely Rupert." Alex hooked her arm through his and they walked back toward the party.

"It was." They stopped to nab some hors 'd'oeurves off a passing tray. "Except it was a lie."

Alex stopped. "A lie? What do you mean?"

Rupert swallowed his nibble and grabbed two more glasses of champagne. "I have recently discovered that my father was not, in fact in construction." He paused to sip his drink. "He was a demon fighter. Like me."

"What? You never knew?"

Rupert shook his head. "No. Not until Albania. That old witch knew. She told me. She seemed surprised that I didn't know."

"I don't understand why he never told you, especially once you became interested in the same life."

"Well, apparently my mother didn't want me to follow in his footsteps. Thought it was too dangerous. They discouraged my friendship with Jay - Luke's father, although I didn't realize why at the time. I just thought it was growing pains." He laughed.

"She wasn't wrong, Rupert, look at what has happened to you, to your life." He said nothing. "She loved you Rupert, she didn't want to see you hurt."

"I suppose" he answered, looking at his shoes. "But Mina knew too."

"Mina? And she never said anything? Even after your mother died?"

He shook his head again. "No. She said something about thinking that by then it had been so long what did it matter." He shrugged. "But I don't know what I believe."

Alex put her hand on his arm. "I know it must be a shock, but it doesn't change how your parents felt about you."

"No. I guess not." He still wasn't sure if he should tell her the rest, he didn't even know if it meant anything yet. It probably didn't. "And I've thought about it a lot in the past few weeks. It probably doesn't matter anyway, you're right. Other than the whole my father wasn't who I thought he was thing."

"Yes, I do understand how that feels." She slipped an arm around his waist. "I'm starving. And I'd like to see what's up for auction. And I think you promised to show me a good time."

The corners of his mouth flickered up. "I did. But I was saving that part for later."

–

They left the party a couple of hours later, both having had more than a few glasses of champagne. Rupert swung her around abd into his arms as they waited for their car.

"So what do you think," he leaned into her ear. "Back to my place for a nightcap?"

Alex laughed, playing with the lapels of his jacket. "Nightcap? Rupert," she nibbled his chin. "I was really hoping we could go back to your place and have sex."

Rupert feigned shock. "I can't believe you would suggest that. You British women are so forw-"

He never finished. Alex pressed her mouth against his, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth. Rupert broke away as the car pulled up beside them. "See what I mean?" He pulled the door open with one hand, the other snug around her waist. "Out in public and everything!" His eyes sparkled at her as he guided her into the car, following her into the back seat.

Alex turned to him, sliding her hand behind his head, into his hair, kissing him hard. Her other hand moved under his jacket, first the buttons on his waistcoat, then lower. He groaned against her mouth as she stroked him hard beneath the fabric of his trousers.

"Save something for later," he mumbled as his mouth traveled across her jaw, over her neck.

"I'm sure you can manage," she whispered.

"No doubt," his voice was husky. "But I want you in my bed, all night. No fucking interruptions."

Alex felt her insides turn to lava as he kissed her again.

As soon as they'd got through the door he threw his jacket on the hallway chair, followed by her shoulder wrap, his waistcoat. He kissed her against the wall at the foot of the stairs, his body pressed hard against hers. 'Don;t move," he told her, disappearing for a minute before returning with a fresh bottle of champagne and two glasses and started up the stairs.

"Rupert, wait." Alex leaned against the wall. "These things are killing me." She dropped her shoes on the floor and followed him.

In the bedroom Rupert set the bottle and glasses down. "Drink?"

Alex tugged on his arm, pulling him closer. He moved his arms around her waist. "Later."

She started on his tie, unbuttoned his shirt; his fingers worked the zipper down her back. Alex shuddered as his fingertips touched her flesh, her head rolled back on her shoulders as her dress fell to the floor around her feet. Rupert kissed down her neck, like a feather over her shoulder, her collarbone. He unhooked the strapless push up bra, quietly pleased at how well everything had fit her, then tossed it aside before cupping her breasts with both hands. He dipped his head, mouth covering each hard tip as Alex moaned against him. He was already so hard, he wanted her so much. "Rupert," she breathed, "now."

"Yeah." He tore off his shirt, Alex working on his trouser fastenings.

"These are hardly easy access," she joked shakily. She wanted him.

"Just have to work a little for what you want, Alex."

"Like this?" She stared into his eyes as she worked his zip down, as his trousers fell to the floor. One hand slid under the elastic of his boxers and they followed, her other hand reached for his balls, teasing, curved a firm grip around his his hot length.

His breath hitched. "Exactly like that." He moved her to the bed, kneeling over her as he pulled her string cut panties over her feet. Shit, she was beautiful. He trailed kisses from her ankle to her knee, spreading her legs wide as he kissed the inside of her thigh before lifting it over his shoulder. His tongue trailed over her clit, _later,_ he thought, kissing up her belly, her breasts, finding her mouth with his, his tongue searching. She curved her hips to meet him as he entered her with a groan, his body going tight with the strain. He thrust slowly at first, his face buried in her neck, her soft moans feeding his desire. She whispered his name and he moved faster, pushing off the bead to look at her, to see her face, what he could do to her. She bit her lip and he did the same, pushing his tongue between her lips, over her teeth. Her hips moved faster against him and he responded, her face had changed, her control disappearing. "_Alex_" "_Oh god yes, Rupert, yes yes_" her voice was a hot whisper and he moved in long hard strokes as her fingers dug into his arms, as her body clenched around him, as she climaxed, gasping and clinging to him. Rupert grunted, he wanted more. His body rebelled and he came in a flood, collapsing onto her arms.

–

"_You're on your own, Jenette. Whatever he offered you to get between us, it was a lie. It's over, love."_

"_Let her go."_

"_Just do it!"_

_He watched as Alex jabbed her elbow into the blond woman, causing her to stumble backwards and fire blindly at him. He fired back, just as blindly..._ "_Bolly."_

–

_He was sitting by her bedside, in the hospital. He didn't know what to do. How to say it. It would never be enough. But it was all he had._ "_I'm sorry Alex. About all of it."_

–

_"It's your turn now Mr. Hunt."_ _The greasy haired man pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. Gene Hunt spun around as the bullet tore through him...._

–

He woke in a sweat, sitting up without knowing where he was. He swallowed and looked in his bed. Alex. Right. OK, he exhaled in relief. He needed a drink. Getting out of bed he pulled on his boxers and went downstairs, remembering all the liquor was still in the kitchen. Rupert's hands were shaking as he downed a tumbler of scotch.

"What's the matter?" Alex appeared in the doorway, wearing only his shirt. He tried to light a cigarette.

"I keep having them Alex. The dreams. Nightmares." He exhaled and seemed to relax a little. "They aren't going away."

"Are they getting stronger?" She sat next to him on the sofa, brushing her hand across his face.

Rupert shook his head. "No." He closed his eyes, not wanting to tell her. "But he's waiting for you."

Alex looked puzzled.

"Gene Hunt. He's in love with you Alex."

"What? That's not possible. He can't be." Her head shook violently. "I can't...I don't believe it." Tears welled in her eyes.

He put an arm around her, pulling her tight. It helped him to comfort her.

"It won't happen Alex. You won't go back." I won't let you.

"What's are you seeing in your dreams? How do you know this?"

"I don't know. I just know they're real. I've dreamed so many things that happened to you." He kissed her. "Alex, before you left, did something happen to him? To Gene?"

"No. He was fine as far as I know. Of course he did shoot me, so I really have no idea what happened after."

He inhaled his cigarette, blowing smoke out slowly. He knew what happened after. "I keep dreaming something Alex. Something bad is going to happen to him."

"Bad? What do you mean?"

"Someone is shooting him, or is going to shoot him. I can't tell. It's fuzzier than the others. But I think he's going to die."

Alex was silent for a moment. "Maybe it hasn't happened yet?"

"Maybe." He stubbed out the cigarette. He'd seen Alex there, lying in a hospital bed. Alex couldn't have seen that. He swallowed, not wanting to think about it. "Lets go back to bed," he said, standing and tugging her hand.

"Do you think you can you sleep?"

"No."

–

Alex crawled over Rupert as he lay back on the bed. She kissed along his scars, such an intimate part of him. When he'd told her in detail what had happened to him all she wanted was to make it better, make every touch matter. She kissed lower, her tongue slid over the head of his straining cock and he gasped...

_...he was having the dream again. Alex Drake, swallowing him deep, her hands gripping his balls. But ohmygod this was different. this was real, felt real. His hand twisted in her hair and he felt it, felt the pressure as he held her, felt her tongue as it swirled and tasted him._

_It was happening, but it wasn't, it couldn't be real – she was still lyin' in a hospital bed, nearly dead. But it was happening. Shit,he'd dreamed this every night since they met. Unless he was drunk, or tired. But it had never been like this. It wasn't his hand wrapped around his swollen cock, it was her mouth. Hot and wet and oh bloody hell doing unspeakable things._

_It was so real, he wanted more. He opened his eyes and there she was, looking up at him, eyes dark, smiling like she wanted it, wanted him. He pulled he up to him, 'Bols' he murmured, and she kissed him, mouth open, her tongue searching to meet his in a frenzy of desire and need._

_It wasn't enough. Rolling her over he kissed down her throat, the curve of pale flesh, lips finding her perfect tits, teasing and licking until she screamed and clawed, until she begged..._

_He entered her hard,she begged for more and he couldn't stand it, couldn't hold on, it was so real...oh god..._

_'Gene! Yes! Yes! Yes!'  
_  
In the second before climaxing Rupert cried out, his entire body felt like it was trying to split in two. Alex clawed at his flesh as he slammed her to the bed again and again. He'd never been in so much agony. Even as a vampire's dinner.

It was minutes before he could see, or hear, and it took some time before he noticed Alex shaking beneath him, her body convulsing with dry sobs as he pulled her close. He could barely speak. "OK?" he murmured. "You OK?"

She nodded wordlessly. "I don't..." she was still shaking, curving her body under his, looking for protection. "Don't let me go, Rupert."

Pulling her into his arms, he shook his head. "I won't."

What the fuck had happened? It was bad enough that he had this asshole in his head when he slept, that he knew everything about him – everything that had happened. Bad enough that he knew how he felt about Alex, even if she claimed she didn't. After that performance he wasn't so sure.

She was crying now, and he kissed her forehead, her cheeks. "Alex, is there something you want to tell me?" She shook her head against his chest. "It's OK Alex. You can tell me anything."

"No." It was a lie. But she didn't want to tell him. She had more than trusted Gene, she had been in love with him. Was still in love with him. And now that she was home and happy and safe, and in love with Rupert, she knew it was true. She just hadn't expected to ever have to face it again. And not like this, in Rupert's arms. She didn't know why she couldn't tell him. It wouldn't have mattered to him.

The real truth was that she couldn't face it. She didn't want to think about him, to wonder what might have happened. To wonder what did happen.

"I just want to sleep." She knew she couldn't.


	11. Reboot

_**Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story through some pretty inexcusable breaks. I do appreciate it. Writing it was more fun than I expected, and I hope the ending makes at least a little sense to some people, because it all worked in my head at one point.**_

_**super thanks to my editor, and to grainweevil for the transcripts (even though I didn't use any in this chapter. ;)**_

_**xx**_

---

Neither of them said much in the morning. Rupert made her tea and buttered her toast, but she couldn't eat.

"I have to help him."

Rupert inhaled sharply, pacing the kitchen. "How, Alex? What do you want me to do?" He tried not to shout. "Shoot you and hope you go back to him? I can't do that, Alex. Don't ask me."

"No, I wouldn't. But there must be some way to warn him. Tell him to be careful." It sounded ridiculous when she said it aloud.

"Alex." He shook his head. "Even if you could what would you say? How do you tell someone like that to be careful? Do you really think that would change anything? If he could be careful you might not even be here."

"Oh, you don't know that! You and Mina have both said you don't think his shooting me had anything to do with me coming out of the coma. Neither of you know anything about what happened, in actuality. You're both just guessing."

"Yes, you're right, we're guessing. Using the best information we have to try to find out what happened. But honestly Alex. You're here, and alive. And I don't want anything to happen to you again." He paused and his voice dropped. "I couldn't live with myself if it did."

Alex sat, shaking her head. She didn't really have any idea what to do. She didn't want to go back, but if she could help him she wanted to. She needed to. "Rupert it's important to me."

He sat, laced his fingers through hers. "I know. I just don't know what we can do about it."

Alex took her hand away and hugged herself. "Start with what we do know. You know what he's thinking, how he feels."

He shrugged. "Some of it. Not everything."

"OK. What about when he's being shot. Does he know it?"

"Yes." Rupert nodded.

"Well what does he think? Is he thinking anything at that moment?"

"Yeah, he is." He didn't want to tell her.

She leaned on the table. "Well? What is it?"

"Relief." Rupert closed his eyes. "He's feeling an overwhelming sense of relief."

"Relief??" Alex fought back tears. "Why would he feel relieved? He is one of the strongest men I have ever known. He would never give up. Not on himself. Not like that."

"He didn't give up on himself, Alex." Rupert said quietly. "He thought you hated him. He thought he killed you. He just...gave up." He shrugged helplessly.

"No, no, no. I won't accept it. There has to be a way, before it's too late. There has to be a way to let him know he's got it wrong, to let him know...." She grabbed his hands, pleading. _To let him know I do love him._

Before Rupert could respond the telephone rang. He answered and hung up quickly.

"That was Mina. She's got our expert at the Stacks. Maybe she can help."

–

Rupert's eyes scanned the room as he and Alex entered.

"The gang's all here, eh?" He tried to sound playful. He felt anything but. "Where's Ruby?"

Luke sulked. "She couldn't make it."

"Would anyone like a drink? Some coffee? Rupert is quite an expert with that machine." Mina offered. "And Ruby is with her boyfriend, Rupert."

"Oh. Great - good for her." He slapped Luke on the back. "About time she gave up waiting for you to come to your senses."

Luke sneered but was silent as Rupert pulled out a chair for Alex, but stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder. He needed the connection.

"Rupert, this is Roman Wicker." Mina gestured to a small, energetic man, at least in his sixties, who was emptying a number of files from a tattered briefcase. "Roman worked with your parents when they were living in Manchester."

Alex started, looked up at Rupert, questioning. He'd never mentioned he'd lived in Manchester. Rupert avoided her stare

"Mr. Wicker, it's a pleasure." He shook Wicker's hand as the little man sat down.

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, Mr. Galvin. Your father was a very talented fighter. I was surprised to find out you followed in his footsteps, though. Your mother was very much against it, if I remember."

"Yes, well. Best laid plans and all." Rupert put his hands in his pockets, jiggling his keys. He needed answers – Alex needed answers, but the whole thing was starting to make him nervous. He should have just buried it all. "Mina seems to think you might have some information that might be of help to us. That you might know something about the Kronon and how they operate. What they actually do."

"Yes, yes. Oh yes. I've been studying it for years." He took off his glasses and wiped them on his jacket. "It's commonly thought that contact with a Kronon causes a person to go backward in time. At least, the few people we've actually been able to identify as having had this experience report it as such. However over the last ten years, in my conversations with the people I have been able to find, and measuring of the various levels of electron activity around the person, that the previously lesser accepted theory – that it's not time travel so much as time shifting, is really closer to the truth."

"You mean like shifting dimensions?" Alex asked. Mina had suggested it was a possibility.

He turned his attention to Alex. "Simply put, yes."

"But why the time travel then?"

"Can I ask? Are you the victim Mina mentioned? Alex Drake?" Alex nodded. "Ah. I don't believe that you are traveling in time, you see. Rather it's time that's moving at varying speeds. There may be a hundred different time lines – strings, if you will, all traveling at different speeds. They may have similar events or be completely independent."

Alex cast a hopeful glance at Rupert. "So things that happen in one 'time' don't always or necessarily happen in another or any of them?"

"Precisely." He frowned. "Well, as precise as you can be, under the circumstances."

"Which is not at all," said Rupert. He stopped pacing and sat next to Alex.

"Hey what's this?" Luke held up a newspaper clipping he'd pulled from one of Wicker's files. "You were in an accident, Galvin?"

Alex stirred. "What?"

"Yes. When I was an infant. It was a bus accident." He wasted a glance at Mina. "But I only recently found out about it."

Luke reached across the table and handed Alex the yellowed slice of newsprint. "Well here's a story about it from the paper."

Alex took the clipping, silent while she glanced through the article. "Rupert." Her hand was shaking as she handed it to him. The paper was from the Manchester Evening News. The year was 1962.

"What am I looking at?" Rupert leaned toward her to look.

"The bus driver. It's Arthur Layton."

"Who's Arthur Layton?" His mother was in the photo, along with what he had to assume was him as an infant. There was an emergency technician and someone the caption identified as the bus driver.

His eyes widened. It was the Kronon from the docks, the one who shot Alex. And the man from his dream. The one who was going to shoot him – shoot Gene.

Rupert swallowed hard.

"Rupert was in a coma for thirty six hours," Mina said quietly.

Alex stared at him, mouthing "And you never mentioned it?"

He shook his head. "I just found out."

"What?" Wicker practically jumped out of his chair. "This is extraordinary." He reached across the table to look at the clipping. "But it's very possible."

Rupert was silent. He had been contemplating the possible implications for several weeks. Ever since Mina had first told him about the accident and the coma he'd never known he'd been in. It was too much of a coincidence that he and this Gene Hunt were identical. And in love with the same woman.

Wicker looked at Alex. "You're certain its the same man? I mean absolutely?"

"Yes. Of course. There's an Arthur Layton in the other time, place, whatever it is. He was a drug dealer. Um, we arrested him but he was released. I don't know what he's doing now, where he is." She looked up at Rupert. Rupert spoke to Wicker. "But he's dead – the monster anyway, Luke killed him. He doesn't exist here. Not anymore."

Wicker was getting excited again. "Really? You killed the Kronon who did this to Ms. Drake?"

Luke answered. "Yeah. Blew him to purple ribbons."

"But he still exists in the other dimension?"

"Yes." Alex tapped the table. "As far as I know."

"And you're sure he's human?" Alex nodded.

"Extraordinary." Wicker sat down. "Truly extraordinary."

"What's so extraordinary?" Rupert was getting impatient.

"What if each Kronon has a connection to a specific location – his own quantum signature, if you will, tied to an actual human in that alternate string? The humans he comes into contact with will all wind up traveling on the same string of time. This Layton version tapped you both, at different times, so you both wind up on the same string."

"I don't know if I'm up to speed," Rupert asked. Things still weren't making sense to him. "What happens to you once you wake up from your coma? Wouldn't someone notice if people started disappearing?"

Wicker stopped writing and looked up.

"Well, the nearest we have been able to work out is that what the Kronon does is create a quantum duplicate – not send you back in time, and it's the amount of energy necessary to create your duplicate that puts you in the coma – conveniently coinciding with whatever accident occurs naturally. Your physical being never actually leaves your original time line. The Kronon feeds off that energy, sending your duplicate into it's quantum dimension. Eventually the original victim is rescued, or wakes up, or dies, here, in the dimension of origin. Quite honestly, we never really knew what happened to the duplicate." He stared at Rupert. "I mean, it's just a theory…but if each Kronon sends their victims along a particular string..." He stopped, his jaw still moving. "I can't even begin to imagine the implications."

"But I'm here, and Alex is here. How can we exist in both time lines?"

"Why wouldn't you? It doesn't logically follow that you would have to disappear from the second time string once the original you woke up. You aren't connected in any way once the duplicate is created." He tapped his chin. "Not as far as anyone can tell, anyway."

"Is it possible to return?" Everyone looked at Alex.

Wicker looked thoughtful. "Huh. I'm really not sure you ever leave." He shook his head.

"The Alex that is there – will she always remember?" She wanted him to tell her she would forget. The thought that a copy of her would always wonder, would always try to get back to Molly. She couldn't think about it.

Wicker shrugged. "I have no idea."

Alex felt shaky. "Rupert…"

"Yeah." He wasn't sure he could think about this.

"I'm really still there? And you…." Somehow he'd become Gene Hunt. It made her head ache.

"None of this makes any sense to me," Luke interrupted.

Mina huffed impatiently. "There's another Rupert in an alternate time line, pretending to be a Met DCI, running around like some out of control sheriff from an American western, according to Alex. And there's another Alex with him. Only he doesn't know he's Rupert, but Alex knows she's Alex. Could you at least try to keep up?"

"Yeah, alright." He rolled his eyes. "If you say so." He went back to reading the files.

"Assume I believe this," Rupert interrupted. "Why am I connected to him, all of a sudden? It has never happened before."

"There does seem to be a connection for as long as the coma lasts – people thinking they've time traveled, but the connection seems to break with the original victim reawakens in their proper time string. The fact that you're connected to your duplicate now is a bit extraordinary." He made a few notes.

"I believe it's the vampires, Rupert," Mina answered. "When they fed off of you they caused the heightened receptors. They want you to feel the pain and the pleasure equally as they do. It must have increased your awareness of him, of another dimension. It will fade. It's already been a few weeks – I can't see it lasting much longer."

Then they didn't have much time, Alex thought. "But Rupert is dreaming things that haven't happened yet. To Gene, I mean." She needed to help him. "At least not that I saw."

Mina shrugged. "Visions certainly could be a part of it."

"Visions…"

"Yes. But the future is always in flux, Alex. If it's a future event it doesn't have to happen the way it's seen. Or even at all." Mina tried to sound comforting.

"You mean if it hasn't happened yet in that time-line, then it doesn't have to?"

Mina nodded. "Yes."

"Then there's time to change his future." She looked up at Rupert. Their future.

He looked at her then, her eyes pleading with him for something only they would ever understand. Or believe. He'd heard enough.

"Mr. Wicker. Thank you for coming down here. It's been very enlightening." And a bit terrifying. "Alex?" She nodded.

"Oh, no. Thank you all. Ms. Harker, Mr. Galvin. Ms. Drake. The entire afternoons has been a revelation." He stood, gathering his papers and files. "The information you've provided has been quite...extraordinary." He shook Rupert's hand. "And of course it's been a pleasure to finally meet you. All grown up, I mean. If I can ever be of any help in anything."

Rupert nodded. "If I have any more questions." He turned to Alex.

"Rupert?" He took her hand, they said goodbye, and together they walked out of the huge library.

"Now what?"

Alex squeezed his hand. "I need to call Molly. See if I need to come home. If not I'd like to go back to your place and think about all of this."

"OK."

–

Rupert sat on the bed as Alex undressed. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't watch. She threw her trousers on the floor, pulled her jumper over her head.

"I need to tell him, Rupert. If it will help him at all to know, I need to do it."

He stared at the floor. "I'm not him." He felt her sit on the bed next to him.

"I know. He's you."

He turned to look at her finally, and her gaze never wavered.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Alex?" He wasn't sure it was what he wanted. What had happened before had been intense. Frightening, even. If it had been up to him they could wait until the visions were gone before they had sex again. Hell, he'd wait an extra month. But he knew it wasn't up to him. And he couldn't say no.

"I am."

Rupert took a deep breath and nodded, standing so he could undress. She watched him unbutton his shirt, unzip his jeans. Drop his boxers on the floor. He didn't even know if he could, what to do.

But Alex did. She slid her hand into his and pulled him toward the bed. Tenderly her hand cupped his cheek.

"Rupert look at me." He did and she kissed him, pulling him into her embrace as she guided him to the bed. Her hands moved patiently, and his body couldn't resist her. She whispered his name and he was hot, hard. She loved him, she said. She thanked him. She promised him...

_...she slid over his aching cock and threw her head back as she rode him. Not again, he thought, not again. He couldn't take much more of this._

_His hands gripped her hips as they captured him over and over. Oh god! It was so real, and impossible, she was dying, he shouldn't do this, shouldn't dream about her like this. He'd killed her. But he couldn't stop._

_He tried to sit up, to pull her closer. One arm moved around her back, over her shoulder, her mouth brushed his and he groaned. She kissed him again, harder, biting his lip, her hands in his hair. Oh shit! He never wanted it to end._

"_More" he managed. "More Alex."_

_She gripped his shoulders and he thrust harder, he needed to come, his whole body ached for her._

_And then she said it. The words he could never make her say, even in his dreams..._

"_I love you..."_

"I love you so much, Rupert, _oh god!_"

Her hands dug into his shoulders as she came, as he came with her, gasping, groaning, blind as she collapsed on top of him and they clung to each other, afraid to let go.

–

_A world away Gene Hunt woke from a restless sleep. His sheets were soaked through with sweat. He was wet. And unpleasantly sticky._

"_This can't bloody go on." be mumbled to himself as he sat up and swung his legs over the bed. The floor was cold. "Give me a fucking heart attack." Probably for the best. He'd planned to drink himself to death waiting for her to die, anyway._

_He was wondering how long it would take when the telephone shattered the silence in the flat._

"_What?"_

"_Where've you been Guv? I've been trying to call you all morning." It was Ray._

"_What d'you mean, where've I been? I've been here." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Must've been asleep."_

"_Well she's awake."_

_What? "Who's awake?"_

"_Guv? Drake. Inspector Drake's awake."_

_He couldn't say anything. It wasn't possible._

"_Guv? Did you hear me?"_

"_Yes. Yeah. I heard you."_

"_Well she's askin' for you so you'd better get down here."_

"_Me?" He'd been there every day since he'd shot her. Expecting to never see her again._

"_Yes. You. Do I need to come pick you up?"_

"_No, no Ray. I'm on my way."_

_For a moment all he could do was sit on the bed, wondering which part of his life was a dream and which was real. It had been so hard to tell lately. With a deep sigh he hung up the phone. He should get cleaned up first._

–

"So, what d'you think? Full English?" He'd put the kettle on and was digging in the cabinets.

"Rupert, it's nine o'clock at night."

"You said you were hungry." He looked at her. "And we just got up. Look at you, you're wearing pajamas." He winked.

Alex laughed in surrender. "Fine. Full English it is. But you'd better have black pudding."

"Ew, no." He opened the fridge. "Have sausage though. Good thing someone went shopping, eh?"

"When did you go shopping?"

"I didn't say it was me." He set a cup of tea in front of her.

She watched as he set to work, cracking eggs and slicing tomatoes. He looked edible himself, wearing pajama bottoms and a plain t-shirt.

Her life had changed so much since she'd met him. She barely knew what to think anymore, but she did know she didn't want to let him go. Not again. He'd seen more than his share of life and could handle things most people couldn't imagine. She hadn't really realized it before, maybe even hadn't wanted it before. But she wanted it now.

"You know, you're a bit older than I thought you were."

He shot her a sideways glance. "I'm remarkably well preserved."

"Yes, you are that."

He cleared his throat as he went back to his frying pans. "Is that a problem?"

Alex took a moment to answer. Might as well make him nervous. "Not for me."

"Good." He made matching mountains of food on two plates and carried them to the table. "Dig in."

He watched her eat, nibbling a little off his plate. She was hungrier than she'd thought and had nearly cleaned her plate before she realized.

"Rupert, I don't know how you make a fry up taste this good, but if you keep cooking for me like this you'll spoil me for other men."

He flashed a mischievous smile. "Well, that is the plan."

--

_the end._


End file.
